The death of Mary Habila has taken another turn after former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar insisted that a full, independent autopsy should still be carried out, even though her family has rejected a post-mortem examination.
Atiku, in a Facebook post on Thursday, said the death of 26-year old Mary Habila inside the private residence of Minister of Works David Umahi in Uburu, Ebonyi State, on 27 June demands an investigation that Nigerians can trust because it involves a serving member of the Federal Executive Council.
Atiku’s insistence presents another issue into a case that has attracted national attention. While Habila’s family has opposed an autopsy, the former Vice President said public interest and the need to establish the cause of death make an independent post-mortem necessary. He emphasised that only a transparent investigation can answer the questions surrounding the incident.
Atiku expressed sympathy to Habila’s family but said the search for the truth should not end with condolences. He pointed to what he called undisputed facts surrounding the case. Habila died inside the residence of a serving federal minister. Public information about the incident did not emerge until media reports brought it into the open almost two weeks later. He also noted that no cause of death has been officially established.
Atiku said the disagreement over an autopsy should not stop investigators from carrying out a full forensic examination.
He called for “a full, independent, and internationally credible autopsy” and said the findings should be made public.
He stressed that his position should not be taken as a judgment against anyone.
“Let me be clear: I make no pronouncement on anyone’s guilt or innocence,” he said, noting that only a credible and transparent investigation can determine what happened.
Atiku also called on the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation from the Ebonyi State Police Command to Force Headquarters and involve independent forensic experts. He said such a step would help strengthen public confidence in the process.
Atiku urged President Bola Tinubu to direct Umahi to step aside until the investigation is completed. He said this should be treated as a standard measure of public accountability rather than a punishment.
He also asked that Habila’s family be protected from pressure, inducement or intimidation and be given full access to information linked to their daughter’s death.
Atiku criticised what he viewed as the silence of major government institutions after the incident. He said neither the Presidency, the Federal Executive Council, the Inspector-General of Police nor the National Assembly gave Nigerians early assurance that the matter would receive an independent inquiry.
He also questioned the situation in which the minister continued to respond to public issues through aides and lawyers while the investigation continued.
Atiku said the issue before the country is not whether anyone should be found guilty without evidence. He said the focus should be on ensuring that every step taken in the investigation can stand public scrutiny.
He said cases involving senior public office holders demand a higher level of openness because public confidence depends on the integrity of the process.
“The measure of a nation is how it responds when the powerful are touched by tragedy and the powerless demand truth,” he said.
Atiku said Mary Habila was a young Nigerian with her life ahead of her and should not become “a footnote of political convenience.”
His intervention is likely to keep attention on the unresolved questions surrounding Habila’s death, particularly the dispute over an autopsy, as Nigerians await the next steps in the police investigation.