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The circumstances surrounding the death of Mary Habila, a nurse attached to the Office of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, took a fresh turn on Friday as the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice said there was no evidence she had any underlying illness before her sudden death and recommended a post-mortem examination to determine its cause.
The legal advice came as Habila\\\'s family intensified efforts to secure the release of her remains for burial, insisting they opposed an autopsy on cultural and personal grounds.
Police have also commenced questioning persons considered relevant to the investigation, while the family has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, seeking intervention over the continued detention of her corpse.
Habila, an employee of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, died on June 27, 2026, at a private residence linked to the Minister of Works, triggering widespread public interest and a police investigation.
In a petition submitted to the Force Headquarters in Abuja through their lawyer, K.A. Yusuf, the family accused the Ebonyi State Police Command of unlawfully withholding her remains despite repeated requests for their release.
The petition argued that the continued retention of the corpse had subjected the family to emotional, psychological, financial and cultural hardship, preventing them from carrying out her burial according to their religious and traditional beliefs.
Habila\\\'s father, Wisdom, maintained that the family was not accusing anyone of causing her death but insisted that all they wanted was the release of her body for burial.
\\\"I don\\\'t want the autopsy. I only want my daughter\\\'s body released so we can bury her,\\\" he said.
However, a legal opinion issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions, J.U. Chukwu, and dated July 15, 2026, supported the police recommendation for an autopsy, stating that available evidence indicated Habila was healthy before returning to Uburu on June 26.
According to the legal advice, there was no indication that she suffered from any illness before her death, making it necessary to establish both the immediate and remote causes through a post-mortem examination.
The document further revealed that Habila was found alone in her apartment, unclothed, with blood stains around her nose and mouth, circumstances it described as requiring thorough investigation.
The DPP advised that while the police could respect the wishes of the family, they also possessed the discretion to proceed with an autopsy if deemed necessary for the investigation.
Meanwhile, police have invited several individuals connected with the incident to provide statements as part of ongoing investigations.
A senior police source confirmed that those considered relevant had honoured the invitations and made statements but declined to disclose details, saying investigations were still in progress.
Responding to reports that the Minister of Works had been invited by the police, his media aide, Nwaeze Francis, said he was unaware of any such invitation.
Umahi had on Thursday denied any wrongdoing, describing attempts to link him to the incident as politically motivated.
He said Habila had worked with him for about three years, described her as \\\"like a daughter,\\\" and disclosed that she had previously battled health challenges for which he assisted her.
The minister also said she complained of a nosebleed during a telephone conversation with her boyfriend shortly before she was found dead, insisting there was no evidence of foul play.
Also on Friday, the family\\\'s lawyer dismissed reports describing the deceased as a physiotherapist, clarifying that Habila was a qualified nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences before her deployment to the minister\\\'s office.
A colleague of the deceased, Anita Baaki, corroborated the claim, stating that Habila was the nurse while she herself was the physiotherapist, adding that both had served in the minister\\\'s office for about three years.
