The Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice has recommended that a post-mortem examination be conducted to establish the cause of death of 26-year-old Mary Habila, who was found dead at the Uburu residence of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi.
The recommendation was contained in a legal advice dated July 15, 2026, and addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police overseeing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ebonyi State Police Command following investigations into Habila’s death on June 27.
According to the legal advice, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said the evidence contained in the police investigation file was insufficient to determine what led to the young physiotherapist’s sudden death.
The document noted that Habila was discovered alone and unresponsive in her apartment, while investigators found no evidence suggesting she had any prior medical condition or health complications before the incident.
The DPP stated that Habila appeared to be in good health when she returned to Uburu with her team, making the circumstances surrounding her death unclear.
The legal advice stressed that the absence of any known illness made it necessary to scientifically determine the cause of death through a post-mortem examination.
According to the ministry, an autopsy would provide investigators with vital medical evidence and help direct the ongoing police investigation.
While acknowledging reports that Habila’s family preferred to proceed with her burial without an autopsy, the Ministry of Justice said the police could either honour the family’s request or invoke their statutory powers to order a post-mortem in the interest of justice.
The recommendation comes amid growing public interest in the case and uncertainty over the release of Habila’s body for burial.
Her father, Baba Habila, reportedly visited a morgue in Ebonyi State to receive her remains for burial in Nok, Kaduna State, but declined to comment to journalists. Reports indicated that the family was unwilling to request an autopsy, although the body had yet to be released as authorities considered the ministry’s advice.
Mary Habila reportedly arrived at the minister’s Uburu residence on June 26 alongside another woman identified as Anita Baski before she was found unresponsive the following morning.
The case was initially reported at the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters before being transferred to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Minister of Works David Umahi has confirmed that Habila died at his residence, describing her as a physiotherapist seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences to the Federal Ministry of Works.
Umahi also disclosed that he had advised the deceased’s family to consent to a post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of her death.
Meanwhile, reports citing unnamed police sources claimed investigators are also examining aspects of Habila’s employment records and her relationship with both the university and the Federal Ministry of Works as part of the ongoing investigation.