Works Minister Urges Police to Conduct Autopsy on Late Staff Member

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has formally requested the Nigeria Police Force to carry out an autopsy on Miss Mary Habila, a staff member who died at his residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State, on June 27, 2026. The request was conveyed in a letter written by the minister's legal representatives, urging investigators to engage qualified forensic pathologists to determine the exact cause of her death. Habila, an employee of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, was serving on secondment at the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja before the incident. According to the letter, she died in a separate staff accommodation located within the minister's residential premises in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The building, the lawyers explained, is designated for staff and other personnel attached to the minister and is not part of his private living quarters.

The letter further stated that on the night of the incident, Habila and another female occupant, identified as a physiotherapist, were the only people staying in the building. Umahi also requested that the police refrain from releasing the deceased's body to any individual, including her family, until the autopsy and all necessary investigations have been completed. According to the minister, the measure is intended to preserve the integrity of the investigation, eliminate speculation and ensure that the true circumstances surrounding the death are established before burial arrangements proceed. He urged law enforcement authorities to treat the matter with urgency in the interest of justice and transparency. The Nigeria Police Force had not issued an official response to the request as of the time of reporting.

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