The Ebonyi State Police Command is pushing ahead with a post-mortem examination into the death of Miss Mary Habila, a physiotherapist who collapsed at Minister of Works Senator David Umahi's residence in Uburu. Police say preliminary investigations show she was part of the medical team accompanying the minister to his hometown when she died in a room on his compound.
SP Joshua Ukandu, the police public relations officer, told reporters on Wednesday that detectives had visited the scene and gathered statements from witnesses. He said the command would bring in a pathologist to conduct the autopsy and establish the cause of death.
According to Ukandu, police received a distress call on June 27, 2026, from the Ohaozara Division police officer about a medical emergency involving Habila. The officer was asked to proceed to the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital in Uburu.
When he arrived, hospital staff informed him that Habila had already been pronounced dead on arrival. The commissioner of police was immediately notified and ordered the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for deeper inquiry.
Ukandu explained that Habila and a colleague were both members of the medical team attached to the Minister of Works. They had travelled with Umahi to his Uburu home, where the physiotherapist's death occurred.
The family of the deceased has resisted the autopsy, but police insist the examination is crucial given the circumstances. "The command awaits the attendance of the family or their representative, as their presence is essential to the post-mortem examination," Ukandu said.
He assured the public that investigators would conduct the inquiry in a thorough, transparent and impartial manner. Further updates would be shared as the investigation unfolds, he added.
