Late Mary Habila’s family petitions IGP, demands release of body for burial

Tanko Habila, father of the late Miss Mary Habila, the nurse who died at the Ebonyi residence of the Minister of Works, on June 27, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), demanding the release of her remains for burial.

Mr Habila, who was accompanied by his wife, other family members and their lawyers, addressed the press shortly after submitting the petition at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Friday, July 17.

The father of the deceased who spoke through his lawyer, expressed sadness that almost two weeks after his daughter’s demise, the Ebonyi State Police Command had refused to release her body for burial.

According to him, the family was not interested in an autopsy and demanded her body be released to them for burial.

“As we are standing here, somebody can fall and d!e. It has happened. All we want is her body to be buried.”

Meanwhile, the Minister has petitioned the Ebonyi state police command, demanding an autopsy be carried out. In a letter signed by his lawyer, Roy Nwaeze, Umahi asked the police not to release Habila’s body to her family until the post-mortem examination is completed, saying the process is necessary to establish the actual cause and circumstances of her de@th.

Late Habila, an employee of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, died on June 27 while attached to the minister’s medical team.

Her death has generated widespread public interest, with calls from several quarters for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.