The father of the late Miss Mary Habila, Mr. Tanko Habila Wisdom, has formally opposed plans to conduct an autopsy on his daughter’s remains and announced his family’s decision to withdraw from further investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death, as reported by The Nigerian Tribune.
According to an Affidavit of Withdrawal filed before the High Court of Justice in Ebonyi State, Mr. Habila, a resident of Sabon Gari Noh in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, requested that his daughter’s body be released to the family for burial without undergoing any additional medical examination.
Miss Habila, a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, reportedly died on June 27, 2026, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The affidavit stated that before her death, she had been deployed to the Federal Ministry of Works in Mabushi, Abuja, where she worked in the Office of the Minister of Works for about three years.
“That I am aware that my late daughter served as a Personal Nurse to the Honourable Minister of Works and the Minister’s immediate staff, with whom she resided at the Minister’s Guest House in Abuja and at the Minister’s Staff Quarters in Ebonyi State.”
Mr. Habila further stated that although the Minister of Works requested that an autopsy be conducted to determine the cause of her death, the family had declined the request.
“That while I welcome steps being taken to unravel the cause of my daughter’s death, my family and I will not accept any autopsy on my daughter’s body,” the affidavit read.
In the affidavit, Mr. Habila stated that despite existing medical and investigative procedures, it was the family’s wish that his daughter’s body and organs remain intact, explaining that this informed their decision to oppose an autopsy.
He further informed the court that the family no longer wished to pursue the investigation and appealed for the immediate release of her body to enable them to proceed with burial.
Mr. Habila also stated that he would not honour any further invitations from the police or the court in connection with the case, maintaining that the family did not suspect any foul play in their daughter’s death.
Miss Habila reportedly died at the residence of the Minister of Works in Uburu, where she served as a member of the minister’s immediate staff.
The Ebonyi State Police Command had earlier announced plans to engage a pathologist to conduct a post-mortem examination, insisting that it was necessary to determine the actual cause of her death.
The family’s decision, however, contrasts with the earlier position of both the police and the Minister of Works, while the court is yet to decide on the application seeking the release of her body….See More