The family of Mary Habila, a 26-year-old nurse who died on June 27, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, to intervene and order the immediate release of her remains for burial.
Naijaonpoint reports that the family also rejected claims questioning the deceased’s character and professional identity, insisting that she was a trained nurse and civil servant attached to the office of the Minister of Works, David Umahi.
The appeal was made on Friday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja by the family’s lawyer, Kaile Yusuf, during a press briefing attended by Habila’s relatives and colleagues.
Habila’s death generated public controversy after she was reportedly found dead at a staff chalet within the minister’s country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Yusuf said the family had completed all procedures demanded by the police for the release of Habila’s body, but had yet to receive approval nearly three weeks after her death.
According to him, the prolonged retention of the remains had caused further pain to the bereaved family and delayed burial arrangements.
He said, “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.”
The lawyer maintained that there was no justification for the continued custody of the body after the family had met the relevant requirements.
Yusuf said the family had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) against the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police over the failure to release 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,” he said.
He urged the police authorities to resolve the matter promptly and allow the family to proceed with the burial.
The lawyer also sought to clarify what he described as misinformation about Habila’s profession.
He said the deceased was a trained nurse and not a physiotherapist, as had been reported in some quarters.
According to Yusuf, Habila previously worked at the David Umahi University of Health Sciences before she was deployed to the office of the Minister of Works.
He added that she served in the minister’s office for about three years as a civil servant.
The lawyer said her appointment letter, salary records and other official documents were available to establish her employment and professional identity.
Yusuf disclosed that Habila’s relatives had repeatedly opposed requests for a post-mortem examination on personal, cultural and traditional grounds.
“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,” he said.
The Ebonyi State Police Command had earlier insisted that an autopsy was necessary to establish the cause of death and support its investigation.
The family’s lawyer also dismissed allegations made about Habila’s character, describing them as false and unrelated to the demand for the release of her remains.
Yusuf said, “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.
“She has been in Abuja working with the minister before her eventful death, and this is the truth.”
He accused unnamed individuals of attempting to politicise the circumstances surrounding the death.
Habila’s father, Tanko Habila, also appealed directly to the police authorities to release his daughter’s body.
