The quiet burial of Mary Habila, a 26-year-old community health worker whose death at the country home of Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, sparked widespread public concern, has failed to end questions surrounding the circumstances of her death.
Mary was buried in Nok, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the hometown of her parents, in a ceremony that attracted little public attention.
Residents of Nok and neighbouring communities told Daily Trust that many only learnt that the young woman had been buried after the ceremony had taken place.
Her death on June 27 at the staff quarters of Umahi’s country home in Uburu, Ebonyi State, generated significant public interest, particularly because of the circumstances surrounding her final hours and conflicting accounts about what happened before she died.
Police have now confirmed that an autopsy was conducted and that the report is ready, although details of the findings have not been made public.
The police spokesman, CSP Anietie Iniedu, confirmed the development when contacted by Daily Trust but declined to disclose the contents of the report.
He said anyone seeking information contained in the report would have to submit a Freedom of Information request.
The confirmation that an autopsy was eventually conducted has added a new dimension to the case, particularly because Mary’s family had previously opposed a post-mortem examination.
However, key questions remain unanswered, including what the autopsy established, when it was conducted, whether it determined the cause of death and why its findings have not been publicly disclosed.
Daily Trust reported that it intends to submit an FOI request to the police seeking access to the autopsy report.
Mary was reportedly taken to the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu, after she was found unresponsive. Police said she was certified dead on arrival.
The Ebonyi State Police Command subsequently transferred the case to its State Criminal Investigation Department for investigation. The matter was later transferred to police headquarters in Abuja following the growing national interest.
Despite the investigation, the circumstances surrounding Mary’s death have not been publicly established.
Her father, Pastor Habila Wisdom, declined to comment when approached at the family home in Nok.
“I don’t have anything to tell you. I’m very sorry,” he said, directing the correspondent to the family’s lawyer.
The lawyer also declined to comment on the case, promising to respond later, but had not done so at the time of filing the report.
Residents said the limited information surrounding both the investigation and the burial had deepened their concerns.
A resident of Kwoi, the headquarters of Jaba Local Government Area, Samson Monday Ham, said many people were surprised by the manner in which information about the case had been handled.
He said Mary’s death had attracted attention beyond Jaba because of the location and circumstances surrounding it, but residents were still waiting for information about the investigation and autopsy.
The controversy surrounding Mary’s death partly stems from different accounts of her final moments.
Umahi had told journalists at a press conference in Abuja on July 16 that Mary complained of a nosebleed while speaking with her boyfriend on the telephone shortly before her death.
According to the minister, Mary told her boyfriend that the bleeding had stopped and that she planned to take a bath.
The boyfriend reportedly advised her to seek medical attention before ending the call.
Umahi said the boyfriend called again about three minutes later but Mary was no longer responding.
However, colleagues who interacted with Mary shortly before her death said she had appeared healthy.
Her friend and colleague, Anita Baaki, said Mary had visited her room before going to bed.
Baaki said Mary told her she was tired and wanted to take a shower before going to bed, describing it as the last time she saw her alive.
Mary had reportedly travelled from Abuja to Ebonyi State on June 26 as part of the entourage attached to the Minister of Works ahead of official and community engagements in Uburu.
People familiar with her work said she appeared healthy after arriving in Ebonyi and was involved in preparations for activities at the minister’s residence.
A staff member who saw her after her arrival recalled exchanging pleasantries with her and seeing her arranging things with other domestic staff.
The staff member said the news of her death the following day came as a shock.
The differing accounts have continued to fuel calls for transparency in the investigation.
For residents of Jaba, Mary’s burial has not brought closure.
A former youth leader in the local government, Monday Gyubok, said the controversy surrounding her death and the quiet nature of her burial had understandably raised concerns among Nigerians, civil society organisations and community groups.
He said such concerns should not simply be dismissed.
However, Gyubok urged the public to respect the wishes of Mary’s family, particularly its earlier decision not to subject her remains to an autopsy.
He appealed for restraint, saying the search for truth should not create further tension or division.
“As young people, we are appealing for understanding, restraint and peace. The search for truth should not become a source of hatred, division or further pain. We can demand accountability while still respecting the dignity of the deceased and the wishes of her family,” he said.
Gyubok stressed that every life deserved protection and dignity regardless of social status, political affiliation, wealth or background.
For now, Mary has been laid to rest, but the questions surrounding her death remain.
With the police confirming that an autopsy report exists, attention is now turning to what the report contains and whether its findings will provide answers to a case that has continued to generate public concern.
Until those findings are made available, residents and other concerned Nigerians say the demand for clarity and accountability is unlikely to disappear with Mary’s burial.
