Woman who died at Umahi’s residence buried amid autopsy dispute

Mary Habila, a nurse who died under controversial circumstances at the Ebonyi State residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has been buried by her family, despite a dispute over an autopsy.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Habila, who was attached to Umahi, was brought in dead to the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital, Uburu, Ebonyi State, on 27 June.

Burial in Kaduna

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that her remains were buried at her home town in Nok, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Friday, 21 August.

Several photographs circulating on Facebook showed her family members and members of her church, Evangelical Church Winning All, performing the burial rites.

Her tomb was tiled with an upright memorial headstone at the back bearing the inscription: “In Loving Memory of Late Miss Mary Habila (Mara).”

Controversial death, autopsy dispute

Habila’s burial occurred weeks after a dispute over the autopsy and public outrage concerning the controversies surrounding her death.

Her death at the minister’s residence on 27 June only became public in July – about two weeks later – which triggered concerns and outrage.

Many Nigerians called for Umahi’s resignation from office following the controversy, while the minister has repeatedly denied involvement in the nurse’s death.

Following calls by many Nigerians for an autopsy to establish the cause of death, Umahi appealed to the police to conduct it.

However, the family opposed the autopsy and initially fixed the burial date for 17 July, but the police insisted on proceeding with the autopsy.

The minister further appealed to the bereaved family to reconsider their insistence on shunning the autopsy on the late nurse’s body, stressing that the post-mortem examination would help establish the actual cause of her death amid mounting allegations of foul play.

However, the family subsequently wrote to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, demanding the immediate release of the body for burial.

They later postponed the burial due to the controversy.

Recently, a civil society organisation, the Kwechiri Unity Forum, filed a lawsuit against the Works minister and the IGP alongside others over Habila’s death.