Habila Family Seeks IGP's Intervention For Late Nurse's Burial

The family of the late Miss Mary Habila has taken a formal step by submitting a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, with the sole request of having her remains released for a proper burial. This move comes after her demise on June 27, 2026, at the residence of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, in Uburu, Ebonyi State. Accompanied by their lawyers and other family members, Mr. Tanko Habila, Mary's father, made an emotional appeal to the police to grant them the opportunity to lay their daughter to rest. The family has expressed its desire to bury Mary without an autopsy, citing cultural and religious reasons for their stance. Their lawyer, Kaile Adamu Yusuf, emphasized that the family had followed all necessary procedures to retrieve Mary's body but was yet to receive it. The situation has also drawn reactions from political figures, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticizing the federal government and the police for not conducting a thorough investigation into Mary's death, as well as that of another individual, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola. Atiku believes that both cases warrant criminal investigations and coroner's inquests, arguing that the law requires the government to treat sudden or unnatural deaths as crimes against the state, regardless of the family's wishes. On the other hand, Chief Emmanuel Igwe, a legislative aide to the Deputy Senate President, has condemned Atiku's call for the suspension of Senator Umahi, describing it as premature and politically motivated. Igwe cautioned against politicizing Mary's death, emphasizing the need for the rule of law to prevail. The family's petition to the IGP is a significant step in their quest to have Mary's remains released, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold. Mary's colleague, Anita Baaki, has also come forward to refute claims that she and Mary were recently brought to work for the minister, stating that they had both worked under the minister for about three years. The lawyers to the Minister of Works have requested an autopsy, which the family opposes. The incident has sparked a debate about the need for a thorough investigation into Mary's death, while also highlighting the complexities surrounding the handling of such cases in Nigeria.