Relatives of the late nurse urge Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu to order the release of her remains as dispute over an autopsy continues

The family of Mary Habila, the 26-year-old nurse who died on June 27, 2026, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to intervene in the prolonged dispute over the release of her remains, saying they have fulfilled all police requirements but are still unable to bury their daughter.

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The appeal was made on Friday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja by the family’s lawyer, Kaile Yusuf, during a press briefing, as the disagreement over the Mary Habila Body Release continues nearly three weeks after her death.

Habila’s death has attracted widespread public attention since her body was reportedly discovered at a staff chalet within the country home of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Addressing journalists, Yusuf said the family had complied with every requirement stipulated by the Nigeria Police Force for the release of the body but had yet to receive approval to proceed with burial arrangements.

“It is regrettable that, having followed all necessary procedures by the family as required by the Nigerian Police to retrieve the body to give her a befitting burial, having stayed long in that process.

“Unfortunately, her body is yet to be released to the family, which is unfortunate,” Yusuf said.

The lawyer explained that the purpose of the briefing was also to correct what he described as misleading reports about Habila’s identity and profession.

According to him, the deceased was a qualified nurse and not a physiotherapist as had been reported in some media accounts.

Yusuf said Habila previously worked at the David Umahi University of Health Sciences before being deployed to the office of the Minister of Works, where she served as a civil servant for approximately three years.

He stated that documents, including her letter of appointment and salary records, confirm her employment history.

The lawyer argued that there was no legal basis for the continued retention of the body and alleged that attempts were being made to politicise the circumstances surrounding her death.

He disclosed that the family had formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police against the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, requesting intervention to secure the immediate release of Habila’s remains.

“And having not been given the body of Mary Habila in Ebonyi State, the family instructed me to write a petition against the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State to the Inspector-General of Police for her body to be released,” Yusuf said.

The family also reaffirmed its opposition to an autopsy, saying the decision is based on personal, cultural and traditional beliefs.

“We are here to also ascertain the fact that the Minister has requested time without number for the autopsy of late Mary Habila, but the family has resolved and are determined and standing their ground not to allow it because of some personal, cultural and traditional reasons,” Yusuf added.

He further rejected allegations circulating about Habila’s character, insisting they were false and unrelated to the family’s request for the release of her remains.

“It is at this point that we want to make clear to the world that Mary Habila has never been a runs girl or whatever, and she has been in Abuja working with the minister before her eventful death, and this is the truth,” he said.

Speaking emotionally during the briefing, Habila’s father, Tanko Habila, appealed directly to the police authorities to allow the family to bury their daughter.

“I don’t have much to talk in this case; all I want is the corpse of my daughter.

We don’t keep corpse of little children for so long like this. So, that is why I am here again to say this once and for all, I need the corpse of my daughter to take her for burial, that is what I am standing on,” he said.

Tanko Habila stressed that the family was not accusing any individual or institution over the circumstances of his daughter’s death and maintained that it had enjoyed a cordial relationship with her workplace before the incident.

Also addressing journalists, Habila’s colleague, Anita Baaki, said the nurse’s death came as a shock to those who knew her.

Baaki clarified that she was the physiotherapist, while Habila served as a nurse, correcting reports that had confused their professional roles.

The dispute centres on whether an autopsy should be conducted before the body is released.

While Habila’s family insists it has complied with all conditions required for the release of the remains and continues to oppose a post-mortem examination on cultural and personal grounds, the Ebonyi State Police Command has maintained that an autopsy is necessary to establish the precise cause of death because of the sensitive nature of the case.

Minister of Works David Umahi has also repeatedly urged the family to consent to the procedure, stating that he directed that the body should not be released until a post-mortem examination is conducted to aid the ongoing investigation.

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Police authorities have maintained that investigations into the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death will continue until the exact cause is scientifically determined, while the family continues to seek the Inspector-General’s intervention to secure the release of her remains for burial.