The father of the late Mary Habila has appealed to the Nigeria Police Force to release his daughter’s body for burial, insisting that the family does not suspect anyone of causing her death and does not want an autopsy conducted.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Mary’s father, Tanko Habila Wisdom, said the family’s only desire is to give their daughter a dignified burial after weeks of waiting.
“I am Tanko Habila Wisdom, the father of the late Mary Habila. I don’t have much to say in this case; all that I want is the corpse of my daughter.
“You don’t keep the corpse of a little child for so long just like this and that’s why I am here to say once and for all that I need the corpse of my daughter to take her for burial. That’s what I am standing on.
“I don’t want the autopsy and that’s why I am demanding the corpse of my daughter to go and bury her now.
“We have been having very cordial relationship with the Minister of Works, her workplace and we don’t want that autopsy they are talking about.
“I am not suspecting anybody because death can occur at anytime even as we are standing here and now, one can fall here and die.”
Mary Habila, a nurse attached to the Federal Ministry of Works, died on June 27 while accompanying the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to his hometown in Ebonyi State.
Her death has attracted public attention, with authorities proposing an autopsy to determine the exact cause of her death. However, the family has consistently opposed the procedure, maintaining that they do not believe there was any foul play.
The family’s lawyer, Kaile Yusuf, said a petition had been submitted to the Inspector-General of Police, urging the authorities to release Habila’s remains without further delay.
According to him, the family has fulfilled all necessary requirements and believes there is no reason to continue withholding the body. He added that the decision to reject an autopsy was based on the family’s personal, cultural and religious convictions.
The family also stressed that they voluntarily rejected the autopsy and were not acting under pressure from any individual or institution.
As of the time of filing this report, the police had yet to announce whether Mary Habila’s body would be released for burial, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death remain ongoing.
