The family of late Mary Habila has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, over the continued retention of her body by the Ebonyi State Police Command, demanding its release for burial and the transfer of the investigation into her death to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The petition, dated July 17, 2026, was submitted through the family’s legal representatives, K.A. Yusuf & Associates.
According to the petition, the family has made several applications and personal visits seeking the release of Habila’s remains but alleged that the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police has continued to withhold approval despite their compliance with all necessary requirements.
Mary Habila, a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences who was seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works, reportedly died on June 27, 2026.
Her body has since remained in a mortuary under police custody.
The family argued that the prolonged retention of the corpse has subjected them to emotional, psychological, financial and cultural hardship, preventing them from carrying out customary and religious burial rites.
“It is my client’s respectful position that the continued detention of his daughter’s corpse without lawful justification is arbitrary, oppressive, and inconsistent with the principles of justice, fairness and respect for human dignity,” the petition stated.
The lawyers further requested that the police provide the legal basis for retaining the body and disclose a timeline for concluding the investigation.
They also urged the IGP to transfer the case from the Ebonyi State Police Command to
