Police Headquarters Takes Over Investigation Into Mary Habila’s Death at Umahi’s Residence

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 decision follows a police directive ordering officers in Ebonyi to hand over the case. Habila’s body is also expected to be moved to the Federal Capital Territory, where a forensic autopsy is likely to be conducted.
The development comes days after reports alleged that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, sought to have both the investigation and the planned autopsy transferred to Abuja amid growing public scrutiny over the case.
Sources claimed the minister became dissatisfied with the handling of the investigation in Ebonyi after details of the incident began attracting widespread attention. It was also alleged that Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru insisted that the police carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death.
Reports further alleged that the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, Hope Urunwa Okafor, was summoned to the Force Headquarters in Abuja over the investigation but declined to compromise the integrity of the probe.
Mary Habila died on June 27, 2026, under controversial circumstances at Umahi’s private residence in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Umahi has acknowledged that Habila died at his residence but maintained that she was a health worker seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS) to the Federal Ministry of Works. He also stated that he advised her family to consent to a forensic autopsy to establish the exact cause of death.
However, the case generated further controversy after the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) said Habila was not listed in its register of licensed physiotherapists, contradicting earlier claims that she worked as a physiotherapist.
Public attention intensified after photographs allegedly showing Habila’s body with visible injuries circulated online, prompting widespread calls for an independent investigation.
Although Habila’s father initially opposed an autopsy through a court affidavit, her planned burial was suspended following public demands for a comprehensive investigation.
The controversy has continued to attract fresh developments, including a dawn-to-dusk curfew declared in Uburu by the local traditional council for a spiritual cleansing exercise and reports that DUFUHS management instructed staff not to release unauthorised information about the case.
As of the time of this report, the police have not publicly announced the outcome of the investigation, and no official determination has been made regarding the cause of Habila’s death.