Fresh details have emerged from the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice regarding the controversial death of 26-year-old physiotherapist, Mary Habila, who was found dead at the residence of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, in Uburu, Ebonyi State. A legal advice issued by the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has disclosed that Habila was discovered lying naked and lifeless on the floor of her apartment, with blood stains around her nose and mouth, raising further questions about the circumstances surrounding her sudden death.
The legal opinion, dated July 15, 2026, was addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ebonyi State Police Command. The document, obtained by SaharaReporters, was prepared following a review of the police investigation into Habila’s death, which occurred on June 27, 2026, at the minister’s country residence.
According to the DPP, the evidence contained in the police case file raises several unresolved issues that cannot be conclusively addressed without conducting a post-mortem examination.
In the legal advice, the Director of Public Prosecutions noted that available evidence indicated that the deceased was alone inside her apartment at the time of the incident. The report further stated that when her body was eventually discovered, she was completely naked and lying motionless on the floor, with visible blood stains around her nose and mouth.
The Ministry of Justice observed that the condition in which Habila’s body was found, coupled with the absence of any known medical condition prior to her death, created significant investigative concerns.
According to the legal advice, investigators found no indication that the deceased had been suffering from any illness or health complications before the tragic incident. Rather, the available evidence suggested that she appeared healthy and active when she arrived in Uburu alongside members of her team.
The DPP noted that Habila had reportedly returned to the minister’s residence in good health and showed no signs of physical weakness or medical distress before she was later found dead.
The legal document therefore raised what it described as the fundamental question confronting investigators: what exactly caused the sudden and unexplained death of the young physiotherapist?
According to the DPP, that question cannot be answered through witness statements or circumstantial evidence alone.
The Ministry of Justice stressed that only a comprehensive post-mortem examination could establish the medical cause of death and provide investigators with vital forensic evidence to determine the appropriate direction of the ongoing investigation.
The legal advice stated that an autopsy would offer critical clues capable of assisting the police in identifying whether the death resulted from natural causes, poisoning, suffocation, violence, or any other circumstance requiring criminal investigation.
Consequently, the DPP advised the police to exercise their statutory discretion in deciding the next course of action. According to the legal recommendation, investigators may either respect the wishes of Habila’s family or invoke their legal powers to proceed with an autopsy in the broader public interest.
The recommendation comes amid growing public attention and widespread calls for transparency over the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death.
Earlier on Wednesday, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that Habila’s father, Baba Habila, declined to speak with journalists while visiting a mortuary in Ebonyi State to receive his daughter’s remains ahead of her planned burial in Nok, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Family sources had indicated that the relatives intended to proceed with her burial without requesting a post-mortem examination.
However, the legal advice issued by the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice now recommends that an autopsy be conducted, arguing that the available evidence is insufficient to determine the actual cause of death.
Sources familiar with the investigation disclosed that Habila’s body had not yet been released to her family as authorities continued consultations over whether a post-mortem examination should proceed before burial.
The case has continued to generate nationwide debate since reports first emerged that the young physiotherapist died inside Senator Umahi’s residence.
Earlier investigations revealed that Habila travelled from Kaduna State to Ebonyi alongside another woman identified as Anita Baski. Police sources familiar with the case said both women arrived at the minister’s residence on June 26, while Habila was found unresponsive the following morning.
The incident was initially reported at the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters before the investigation was transferred to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department for further inquiry due to its sensitive nature.
Following widespread media reports, Senator Umahi publicly confirmed that Habila died at his residence. He explained that she was a physiotherapist who had been seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences to the Federal Ministry of Works.
The minister also stated that he personally advised the deceased’s family to consent to a comprehensive autopsy in order to establish the exact cause of death, insisting that the investigation should be allowed to run its full course.
However, police sources involved in the investigation reportedly questioned parts of the minister’s explanation.
According to the investigators, preliminary inquiries did not conclusively establish that Habila and her companion, Anita Baski, were employees of the university as earlier claimed. Investigators were said to be verifying the employment status of both women as part of the ongoing investigation.
Sources also alleged that investigators received information suggesting that members of Habila’s family had come under pressure not to insist on a post-mortem examination, although no official confirmation has been provided regarding the source or nature of the alleged pressure.
As of the time of filing this report, police authorities have not announced the medical cause of Habila’s death, while forensic investigations and witness interviews remain ongoing.
With the Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice now formally recommending a post-mortem examination, attention is expected to shift to whether investigators will proceed with the autopsy despite the family’s earlier indication that it preferred immediate burial.
The outcome of the forensic examination, if conducted, is expected to play a crucial role in determining the circumstances surrounding the death of the 26-year-old physiotherapist and could significantly influence the direction of the police investigation.
