Mary Habila: Nigerian Govt has failed – Atiku’s aide

Paul Ibe, media aide to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, says the Nigerian government has failed in its responsibility with the manner it is handling the death of Mary Habila in the residence of the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.

In a post on his verified X handle on Friday, Ibe said under the Nigerian law, the government is obligated to treat suspicious, sudden, or unnatural deaths as crimes against the state.

According to him, the Nigeria Police Force would have conducted a full criminal investigation and launched a Coroner’s inquest to establish the medical cause and manner of deaths of Habila, adding that the permission of the families of the deceased is not required before this can be done.

“On the matter of Mary Habila who died in the Uburu residence of Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi, David Umahi the government failed abysmally in its responsibility.

“In situations of deaths in suspicious circumstances such as this, the police are expected to secure the scene, collect forensic evidence, and question anyone involved. Since homicide is a state offense, the government’s duty to investigate cannot be vetoed or halted, even by the grieving family.

“The question is, were autopsies conducted on Habila? The answer is No. Without a state conducted post-mortem examination, how do we determine the cause of death, identify any foul play, torture, or negligence,” he asked.