amily petitions IGP over continued retention of body, seeks transfer of probe
olice spokesperson urges restraint, warns against spread of unverified allegations
The father of late Mary Habila, a physiotherapist who died at the residence of Minister of Works, David Umahi has declined to carry out autopsy and insisted on burying his daughter.
Tripod Times reports that in a bid to prove his innocence in the matter, the Minster had ordered an autopsy to be conducted on the body while calls have grown for a forensic investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the health worker.
Mary’s father, who spoke with journalists on Friday said his culture forbids keeping the corpse of a young person for long, insisting that the body needs to be buried.
“I don’t have much to say on this matter, all I want is the body of my daughter. We don’t keep the body of a little child for long,” he said.
“I need the corpse of my daughter. That is what I am standing on. She had a cordial relationship both at her work place and everywhere.
“We don’t want the autopsy that they are talking about. I am not suspecting anybody because death can occur anytime. Even as I am standing here, someone can fall here now and die”
However, the family of late Habila has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, over the continued retention of her body by the Ebonyi State Police Command, demanding its release for burial and the transfer of the investigation into her death to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The petition, dated July 17, 2026, was submitted through the family’s legal representatives, K.A. Yusuf & Associates.
According to the petition, the family has made several applications and personal visits seeking the release of Habila’s remains but alleged that the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police has continued to withhold approval despite their compliance with all necessary requirements.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos, CSP Nkeiruka Nwode, has appealed to Nigerians to exercise restraint and refrain from spreading unverified allegations over the death of the young lady.
In a statement on Friday, Nwode described Habila’s death as a heartbreaking tragedy and expressed condolences to her family, friends, and all those affected by the loss.
She urged the public to allow the appropriate authorities to carry out a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation, including an autopsy, stressing that justice for the deceased and fairness to everyone connected with the case must go hand in hand…///
