‘Mary Was Never a Runs Girl’ — Mary Habila’s family Begs IGP to Release Nurse’s Body

• Mary Habila’s family has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to release her body for burial, insisting she was never involved in prostitution as they reject attempts to tarnish her reputation.

The family of Mary Habila, the 26-year-old nurse whose death has sparked nationwide attention, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, to intervene and order the immediate release of her body for burial.

The family also strongly rejected reports questioning Habila’s character, insisting that she “was never a runs girl” and describing allegations against the deceased as false and defamatory.

Habila, a nurse attached to the office of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, died on June 27, 2026, at a private residence linked to the minister in Ebonyi State. Since her death, police have withheld her remains as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Family petitions IGP

Through their lawyer, K.A. Yusuf, the family on Friday submitted a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, accusing the Ebonyi State Police Command of unlawfully refusing to release Habila’s body weeks after her death.

The petition, titled “Complaint Against the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State, for the Unlawful Refusal to Release the Corpse of Late Mary Habila for Burial,” was submitted at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

According to the family, they have met every requirement requested by the police but have repeatedly been denied access to recover the body for burial.

The petition argued that the prolonged detention of Habila’s remains has caused the family emotional, psychological, financial and cultural hardship while preventing them from performing her traditional and religious burial rites.

“Our client’s family has been denied the opportunity to perform the customary and religious burial rites to which every deceased person is entitled,” the petition stated.

The family urged the IGP to take over the matter, direct the immediate release of the body and investigate any officer found to have acted unlawfully.

‘All I want is my daughter’s body’

Speaking after submitting the petition, Habila’s father, Wisdom Habila, said the family’s only wish was to bury their daughter.

“All that I want is the body of my daughter. We don’t keep the body of a little child for this long just like this.

“That is why I am here to say it once again and for all. I need the corpse of my daughter to take her for burial. That is what I am standing on.”

The grieving father also reaffirmed the family’s opposition to a post-mortem examination.

“I don’t want the autopsy. That is why I am demanding the release of the corpse of my daughter to go and bury her now.”

He added that the family was not accusing anyone of causing Mary’s death.

“I am not suspecting anybody because death can occur… We are not suspecting anybody.”

‘Mary was never a runs girl’

Responding to reports circulating online about the deceased, the family’s lawyer defended Habila’s reputation, insisting she was a dedicated health professional whose name should not be dragged through the mud after her death.

“It is important to clear some grey areas, especially areas where false allegations have been propagated about her person and character.”

Yusuf said Habila “was never a runs girl or whatever,” stressing that she was a qualified nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, before she was seconded to the office of the Minister of Works.

He explained that she had worked under Umahi for about three years and remained a civil servant until her death.

According to him, the family possesses her appointment letter, payslips and other official documents proving her employment status.

He also criticised attempts to damage the late nurse’s image, insisting she deserved dignity and respect.

A colleague of the deceased, Anita Baaki, also dismissed reports claiming that both women were recently recruited into the minister’s office.

“We have been working under the minister for about three years,” she said.

Baaki further clarified that Habila was a nurse, while she herself is the physiotherapist.

Police continue investigation

Meanwhile, police have widened their investigation by inviting individuals considered relevant to the case for questioning.

A senior police source confirmed that those connected to the incident had already provided statements.

“They have been invited by the police to make statements. That’s how it’s done… They have all made their statements,” the source said.

The source declined to disclose details, noting that investigations were still ongoing.

Ministry backs autopsy

Despite the family’s position, the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice has advised that a post-mortem examination is necessary to establish the exact cause of Habila’s death.

A legal opinion signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, J.U. Chukwu, stated that there was no evidence the deceased had any known illness before her sudden death.

The legal advice further noted that Habila was found alone in her apartment, unclothed, with bloodstains around her nose and mouth, making an autopsy necessary to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of death.

However, the ministry acknowledged that the police retain the discretion to either respect the family’s wishes or proceed with a post-mortem examination.

Umahi denies wrongdoing

Minister of Works David Umahi has denied any wrongdoing, describing attempts to link him to Habila’s death as “politics taken too far.”

Umahi said the deceased was like a daughter to him and disclosed that she had a history of medical challenges, adding that she complained of bleeding from her nose during a phone conversation with her boyfriend shortly before she died.

He maintained that there was no evidence of foul play.

The case has continued to attract national attention, with calls from political leaders and civil society groups for a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the young nurse’s death.