The Nigeria Police Force has reportedly transferred the investigation into the controversial death of Mary Habila from the Ebonyi State Police Command to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
According to SaharaReporters, the directive was communicated through a police signal instructing officers in Ebonyi to hand over all aspects of the case to authorities in the Federal Capital Territory.
Sources familiar with the development also disclosed that Habila’s remains are expected to be moved to Abuja, where a forensic autopsy may be conducted as part of the ongoing investigation.
The reported takeover follows growing public interest in the case and comes days after allegations that the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, sought the transfer of both the investigation and the planned autopsy to Abuja.
According to sources, the minister became dissatisfied with how the Ebonyi State Police Command was handling the matter after details of the case began circulating in the public domain. The sources further claimed that Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru insisted the police should carry out a thorough and transparent investigation rather than prematurely close the case.
It was also alleged that the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, Hope Urunwa Okafor, was summoned to the Force Headquarters in Abuja earlier this week over the handling of the investigation.
Mary Habila died on June 27 under controversial circumstances at Senator Umahi’s private residence in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Following public attention on the incident, Umahi confirmed that Habila died at his residence. He stated that she had been seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences to the Federal Ministry of Works and urged her family to consent to a forensic autopsy to establish the exact cause of death.
However, the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death have remained a subject of public debate. Earlier reports claimed she was a physiotherapist, but the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy later stated that her name was not listed in its register of licensed physiotherapists, with subsequent reports identifying her as a Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW).
The case has continued to attract widespread attention, prompting calls from members of the public for an independent and transparent investigation.
Meanwhile, the Uburu Traditional Rulers Council recently announced a dawn-to-dusk curfew in the community to observe a traditional spiritual cleansing exercise known as Isu Arua. Although the council described the exercise as one aimed at promoting peace and renewal, the announcement came amid the ongoing investigation into Habila’s death.
In a related development, SaharaReporters also reported that the management of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences directed staff members not to disclose information concerning the case without official approval, citing the need to protect the institution’s image while investigations continue.
Authorities have yet to issue an official statement confirming the transfer of the investigation or the planned forensic autopsy.
