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By Oscar Okhifo
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has dismissed claims that the culture and traditions of Southern Kaduna forbid autopsies, asking the Federal High Court in Kaduna to order an independent post-mortem examination on the late Nurse Mary Habila and award ₦20 billion in damages over her controversial death.
In a suit filed through its Incorporated Trustees, the union argued that an autopsy is essential to uncover the true circumstances surrounding Habila’s death, insisting that culture or religion should never be used to obstruct justice or shield anyone from accountability in a case of significant public interest.
SOKAPU named the Minister of Works, David Umahi; Habila’s father, Habila Tanko Wisdom; the Attorney-General of Ebonyi State; and the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State as defendants in the suit.
The union maintained that assertions that Southern Kaduna customs or Christian beliefs prohibit post-mortem examinations are false and misleading, declaring that “there is no custom, tradition or Christian doctrine in Southern Kaduna that forbids an autopsy,” particularly where a death occurs under suspicious, controversial or unexplained circumstances.
It added: “Where a death occurs under suspicious, controversial or unexplained circumstances, an autopsy is not only acceptable but necessary in the interest of justice, accountability and the rule of law.”
Mary Habila, a nurse attached to the medical team of the Minister of Works, died on June 27 while at Umahi’s residence in Ebonyi State. Since then, conflicting accounts surrounding her death have fuelled public outrage and widespread demands for a transparent investigation.
The latest legal action comes weeks after Habila’s father wrote to Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, demanding the immediate release of his daughter’s body for burial. In the petition, he insisted that the family suspected no foul play and argued that conducting an autopsy on a young woman of her age was a taboo in their culture.
His position drew widespread condemnation from Nigerians, civil society organisations and medical professionals, many of whom argued that an autopsy remained the only credible means of establishing the actual cause of death and addressing the numerous questions surrounding the incident.
SOKAPU has now directly challenged that claim, insisting that Southern Kaduna people have never regarded autopsies as taboo and that there is no cultural basis for resisting a scientific examination in a case of such public interest.
“The attempt to hide under culture to resist a scientific determination of the cause of Mary Habila’s death is unacceptable and must not be allowed to stand,” the union stated.
The union is urging the court to declare that Mary Habila died under “unexplained, controversial and unnatural circumstances” and to order that an independent autopsy be conducted by a panel of pathologists from the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, the University College Hospital, Ibadan, and the National Hospital, Abuja.
The union is also seeking an order directing the Nigeria Police Force to conclude a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the nurse’s death before her remains are released for burial.
“We are asking the court to order an independent autopsy and a thorough police investigation before the body is released for burial,” SOKAPU stated.
In addition, the union is asking the court to award ₦20 billion in damages, alleging that Habila’s fundamental rights were violated while she was under the care and supervision of the Minister of Works.
The group maintained that only a transparent forensic investigation can establish the truth and guarantee justice for the deceased and her family.
“Justice for Mary Habila and her family can only be served when the true cause of her death is established through an independent and transparent forensic examination. No culture should be invoked to shield anyone from accountability or frustrate the search for truth in a matter of such grave public importance,” the union added.
Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that Habila’s body was recently flown from Ebonyi State to Abuja under undisclosed circumstances.
However, the development has not been independently verified, and neither the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Ministry of Works nor the deceased’s family has officially confirmed it.
The Federal High Court is yet to fix a date for hearing the suit as public interest in the case continues to grow amid renewed calls for a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the nurse’s death.