The Minister of Works, David Umahi, and the Ebonyi State Police Command are pushing for a post-mortem examination to determine what caused the death of 26-year-old nurse Mary Habila, whose body was found at a property linked to the minister in Uburu, Ohaozara LGA of Ebonyi State.

The demand comes after the deceased’s father, Tanko Habila, asked the Ebonyi State High Court to halt police investigations and said the family does not want an autopsy, insisting they do not suspect foul play.

But police say an autopsy is still needed.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Command’s spokesperson, Joshua Ukandu, said the examination is necessary given the sensitivity of the case and the need to establish the exact cause of death.

Ukandu noted that the Command is ready to engage a pathologist and is waiting for the family or their representative to be present for the procedure, which is part of the ongoing inquiry. He added that detectives have visited the scene and taken statements from relevant persons.

“The command is set to engage the services of a pathologist to conduct a post-mortem examination that will help determine the cause of death and support the ongoing inquiry.
The family of the deceased has, however, claimed that they do not want any autopsy performed on their daughter.
The command nonetheless considers the examination necessary, given the sensitive nature of the case and the imperative of establishing the true cause of death,” the statement read.

The police assured the public of a thorough and impartial investigation and promised further updates.

Umahi gives account of final hours

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on newly approved projects by President Bola Tinubu, Umahi appealed to the family to allow an autopsy. He said he has directed that the body not be released for burial until the examination is done.

The minister clarified that Habila was a nurse with the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, and not a physiotherapist as earlier reported. He described her as “like a daughter” who worked with him for about three years.

According to Umahi, Habila had a history of medical issues and had been treated in a Turkish hospital, with bills he said he paid. “The last one was on the 5th of April, and it cost me N2.2m. The records are there,” he said.

He recounted that Habila told her boyfriend she was experiencing a nose bleed shortly before she died.
“She spoke to her boyfriend at the hour of her death and complained that she was bleeding from the nose… She told the boyfriend, ‘Don’t cut the call.’ The boyfriend cut the call. Three minutes later, the boyfriend called again. She was not responding.”

Umahi said she had mentioned going to take a bath before the call ended. “When they discovered something was wrong, they broke down the door and discovered her dead. The tap was still running,” he said.

He stressed that the guest house where she died is separate from his personal residence. “Does it mean that because somebody dies in the Ministry of Works, the minister must be accountable for that?” he asked, adding that he suspects no foul play.

The minister said he has asked the Inspector-General of Police to move the case to Abuja and to help persuade the family to consent to an autopsy. He also urged investigators to obtain call logs between Habila and her boyfriend.

Colleague recounts last contact

In a sworn affidavit, Habila’s colleague Anita Baaki said both of them traveled from Abuja to Ebonyi on June 24, 2026, for official duties and were lodged in adjoining rooms in a staff chalet within Umahi’s country home in Uburu.

Baaki said on the evening of June 26, Habila came to show her a new hairstyle and said she was tired and wanted to shower before sleeping. “That was the last time I saw her alive,” Baaki stated.

The next morning, after calls went unanswered and the door remained locked, staff forced it open and found Habila unconscious near the door. She was taken to David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, where she was confirmed dead on arrival.

Baaki said her statement was made voluntarily for investigation purposes.

Calls for suspension and independent probe

The Allied People’s Movement and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights have called for Umahi to step aside pending investigation.

APM National Publicity Secretary Abubakar Yusuf said the minister’s continued stay in office and the Presidency’s silence “cast a huge blight on the nation” and urged President Tinubu to order “an open, independent and transparent inquest.”

CDHR, in a statement by National President Yinka Folarin and Publicity Secretary Adewunmi Adesina, said the matter is beyond a family issue because it involves the right to life. The group called for Umahi’s resignation “to enable an unfettered and independent investigation,” an independent forensic autopsy, protection for witnesses, and prosecution if anyone is found culpable.

“Public office must never become a shield against criminal investigation or accountability,” CDHR stated.

The group also urged the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, and other bodies to monitor the case.

Both the police and the minister maintain that establishing the cause of death through an autopsy is critical to bringing clarity to the incident.