- Ebonyi recommends autopsy for Mary Habila
- Investigators seek to determine cause of death
- Police probe into the incident is ongoing
The Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice has advised that a post-mortem examination be carried out to determine the cause of death of 26-year-old Mary Habila, who was found dead at the Uburu residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the recommendation was contained in a legal advice dated July 15, 2026, and addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ebonyi State Police Command.
The advice followed a police investigation into Habila’s death on June 27 at the minister’s residence.
According to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the evidence contained in the police investigation file was insufficient to establish the cause of her death.
The legal opinion noted that Habila was discovered alone and unresponsive in her apartment, while investigators were unable to determine the circumstances surrounding her death without a medical examination.
The DPP also stated that there was no evidence suggesting she had been ill or suffered from any known medical condition before the incident.
According to the document, Habila appeared healthy when she returned to Uburu with members of her team before her death.
The ministry said the absence of any known health concerns made a post-mortem examination necessary to determine what led to her sudden death.
It explained that an autopsy would provide investigators with scientific evidence to guide the ongoing investigation.
The Ministry of Justice added that the police could either honour the family’s reported wish to proceed with burial without an autopsy or exercise their legal powers to order the examination in the interest of justice.
The recommendation comes amid public interest in the case and conflicting reports over the release of Habila’s body for burial.
Her father, Baba Habila, reportedly visited a morgue in Ebonyi to receive the body ahead of a planned burial in Nok, Kaduna State, but declined to comment to journalists.
Reports indicated that the family did not intend to request an autopsy, although the body had yet to be released as police considered the ministry’s recommendation.
Habila reportedly arrived at Umahi’s residence on June 26 alongside another woman identified as Anita Baski before she was found unresponsive the following day.
The case was first reported at the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters before being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Umahi later confirmed that the deceased died at his residence, describing her as a physiotherapist who had been seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences to the Federal Ministry of Works.
The minister also disclosed that he had advised the family to permit an autopsy to help determine the exact cause of death.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters reported, citing unnamed police sources, that investigators were also examining aspects of Habila’s employment history and her relationship with both the university and the Federal Ministry of Works as part of the ongoing investigation.
