The Southern Kaduna Peoples United Associations (SOKAPU) on Monday pushed for an autopsy to determine the cause of the death of Mary Habila, a medical professional who allegedly died while on official duty.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, SOKAPU’s President, Samuel Tabara, said he was not aware of any cultural restraint against autopsies in Southern Kaduna.
Asked what he thought was the reason behind Mary Habila’s family’s decision against an autopsy, the SOKAPU president said that the family laid claim to culture.
“And I, as the socio-cultural leader of the region, we are aware that the laws of the land supersede whatever culture you practise,” said Tabara.
“There are laws in this country, and we should be seen to be guided by the laws of this country.”
He also said that he had interacted with the family of the deceased on the matter.
“I spoke with the father over the phone, and he directed me to speak with his lawyer. And I spoke with the lawyer, and he said it is the family’s resolve that you don’t want an autopsy.
“And I said to the lawyer, Well, this has generated so much concern among us as Southern Kauna people and the public at large,” he said.
“And the commissioner of police has jurisdiction to investigate suspected criminal matters, regardless of whether the people involved want it or not.
“It is a statutory responsibility, and it is just responsible of us as an organisation, a cultural organisation for that matter, the voice of the Southern Kauna people to take a position on this, and we decided to take legal action,” he added.
Asked whether the union was seeking legal action as well as an investigation, and whether that legal action is based on evidence that the minister was complicit in the death of the medical professional, Tabara said, “We are seeking an investigation, and if the investigation proves that there is a need for legal action, we go ahead with the legal action.
“It is not for us to categorically say that the minister is complicit or not, and this is the one reason why an investigation should be conducted to lay to rest every element of doubt.”
When one of the interviewers asked him why SOKAPU was demanding compensation to the tune of ₦20 billion when there was no evidence yet that the, that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, is complicit, Tabara said that an investigation has not shown that.
“Well, we cannot say that at this stage because the investigation is yet to be conducted and the matter has not yet been heard in court,” he said.
The SOKAPU leader, however, said that a lawyer had been detailed to execute a service on the minister but had yet to receive feedback from the lawyer.
Providing further details on the demand for ₦20 billion compensation, he said that the ₦20 billion has to do with damages related to her death if there is some element of criminality in the matter.
“And like I’ve said, yes, we have put a figure forward. It is for the court of law to finally determine where necessary,” he said.
Mary Habila was reported dead at a private residence belonging to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Since then, her remains have remained in police custody.
But the family of the deceased had appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, to intervene in the continued retention of her remains, urging the police authorities to release her body for burial.
The family’s lawyer, Kaile Yusuf, during a press briefing at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, had said Mary Habila died in Ebonyi State on June 27 and that her body had remained in official custody despite the family’s efforts to secure their release.
Yusuf also said that contrary to some reports, she was a trained nurse and not a physiotherapist.
He said she previously worked at David Umahi University of Health Sciences before being deployed to the office of the Minister of Works, where she served for about three years as a civil servant.
According to him, documentary evidence, including her appointment letter and salary records, confirmed her employment status.
However, Umahi maintained that the death of Miss Habila must be subjected to a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation to establish the true cause of her passing.
The minister, through his legal counsel, also formally wrote to the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, demanding that an autopsy be conducted on the deceased before her remains are released for burial.
According to him, only a comprehensive forensic examination and a credible investigation can dispel speculation, uncover the truth, and ensure that justice is served in the interest of all parties involved.
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