Family rejects autopsy in physiotherapist’s death at Umahi’s home
The Ebonyi State Police Command says the family of a 26-year-old physiotherapist found dead in Minister David Umahi’s residence has opposed an autopsy.
The Ebonyi State Police Command has confirmed that the family of Mary Habila, the 26-year-old physiotherapist found dead at the Ebonyi State residence of Works Minister David Umahi, has opposed an autopsy on her body. The police insist the post-mortem is essential to establish the true cause of death.
Habila died on 27 June in a room within Umahi’s compound in Umunaga, Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area. She was part of a medical team attached to the minister and had accompanied him to his hometown before the incident occurred. The Divisional Police Officer of Ohaozara Division received a distress call on 27 June requesting his presence at the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu, over a medical emergency. Upon arrival, medical authorities confirmed that Habila had been brought in dead.
Police spokesperson Joshua Ukandu said detectives have visited the scene and obtained statements from relevant persons. The command is awaiting the family's presence or their authorised representative before proceeding with the examination. Ukandu said: “The Command nonetheless considers the examination necessary, given the sensitive nature of the case and the imperative of establishing the true cause of death”.
Umahi has previously dismissed claims that the circumstances surrounding the nurse’s death were shrouded in secrecy. The family has fixed Habila’s burial for 17 July. She was born on 18 September 2000 and died at age 26.
The case has drawn public interest because of the minister’s involvement and the family’s opposition to the autopsy. The police are caught between the need for forensic evidence and the family’s wishes. The outcome will determine whether the case moves forward or remains unresolved.
This echoes the 2012 case of a young woman who died in the home of a prominent politician, where the family’s opposition to an autopsy also complicated the investigation. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: unanswered questions and a cloud of suspicion.
The winners: none. The losers: the family of Mary Habila, who must grieve without closure; the police, who face an investigation without a key piece of evidence; and the Nigerian public, which is left with unanswered questions.
Bottom Line: A 26-year-old physiotherapist is dead in a minister’s home. The family says no to an autopsy. The police say yes. The truth remains somewhere in between.