Mary Habila Is Not A Runs Girl” — Family Lawyer Speaks Out

The family of 26-year-old nurse Mary Habila has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, to intervene in the continued delay surrounding the release of her remains and allow them to proceed with her burial arrangements.

According to Ireporter Online, the family, through its lawyer, Kaile Yusuf, made the appeal during a press briefing at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where relatives and colleagues of the deceased were present. The family also rejected claims questioning Habila’s character and professional background, insisting that she was a trained nurse and a civil servant who served in the office of the Minister of Works, David Umahi.

Habila’s death had attracted public attention after she was reportedly found dead on June 27 at a staff chalet located within the minister’s country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Yusuf said all necessary procedures required by the police for the release of Habila’s remains had been completed, but the body was yet to be handed over to the family nearly three weeks after her death.

He explained that the prolonged custody of the remains had deepened the family’s grief and delayed plans to give her a proper burial.

The lawyer disclosed that the family had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police against the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police over the continued withholding of Habila’s remains, urging the police authorities to resolve the matter without further delay.

Yusuf maintained that there was no reason for the body to remain in police custody after the family had fulfilled the necessary requirements.

He also addressed reports surrounding Habila’s professional identity, stating that she was a qualified nurse and not a physiotherapist as had been wrongly reported in some quarters.

According to him, Habila previously worked at David Umahi University of Health Sciences before being deployed to the Minister of Works’ office, where she served as a civil servant for about three years.

The lawyer said official documents, including her appointment letter, salary records and other employment documents, were available to confirm her professional status.

Yusuf further dismissed allegations about Habila’s character, describing such claims as false and unrelated to the family’s demand for the release of her remains.

“Mary Habila has never been a runs girl or whatever. She was in Abuja working with the minister before her death,” he said, adding that attempts to link the matter to unrelated issues were unfair and misleading.

The lawyer also revealed that the family had declined requests for an autopsy on personal, cultural and traditional grounds, despite the Ebonyi State Police Command’s position that the procedure was necessary to determine the cause of death and aid investigations.

Meanwhile, Habila’s father, Tanko Habila, made an emotional appeal to the police authorities, stating that his only request was to receive his daughter’s remains for burial.

He said the family was not accusing anyone of causing her death and noted that they had maintained a cordial relationship with her workplace before the incident.

A colleague of the deceased, Anita Baaki, described Habila’s death as shocking and clarified that she, Baaki, was the physiotherapist in the team, while Habila worked as a nurse.

The circumstances surrounding Mary Habila’s death continue to generate public interest as authorities proceed with investigations into the incident.