The Southern Kaduna People's Union (SOKAPU) has called on the Nigeria Police Force to carry out a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into the death of 26-year-old Mary Habila, who died at the residence of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, in Ebonyi State.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its Vice President II, Bello Hosea Bissalla, and General Secretary, Jerry Andrew, the union urged the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to ensure that every aspect of the case is properly investigated.

Mary Habila died on June 27, 2026, at the minister's residence in Uburu, Ebonyi State. The circumstances surrounding her death remain under police investigation.

SOKAPU acknowledged that Senator Umahi and his team reported the incident to the Ebonyi State Police Command but stressed that the investigation must be exhaustive.

"While we acknowledge the steps taken by Senator Umahi and his team to report the incident to the Ebonyi State Police Command, we appeal to the Inspector General of Police to ensure a rigorous, transparent, and exhaustive investigation. No stone must be left unturned in establishing the truth," the statement said.

The organisation also expressed sympathy with Habila's family and the wider Southern Kaduna community following her death.

"The leadership of SOKAPU is aware of the family's decision to proceed with Mary's burial while official investigations remain active. We extend our deepest, most heartfelt condolences to her immediate family, the Ham nation, and the entire Southern Kaduna community during this incredibly painful time," it said.

SOKAPU further appealed to members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified information about the incident, saying confidence should be placed in the ongoing police investigation.

"We urge the general public to desist from spreading unverified rumors, falsehoods, and sensationalized narratives regarding the circumstances of her passing," the union stated.

It added, "We maintain full confidence in the capacity of our security agencies to conduct a professional investigation. We call on all sons and daughters of Southern Kaduna to remain calm and peaceful as the constitutionally mandated authorities handle this matter."

The group also pledged continued support for Habila's family.

"We remain in close contact with her family and are fully committed to providing them with the necessary support throughout this incredibly difficult period," the statement added.

Earlier on Wednesday, SaharaReporters reported that Habila's father, Baba Habila, declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding his daughter's death while at a morgue in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, where he had gone to receive her body ahead of her burial in Nok, Kaduna State.

SaharaReporters also reported that the family had decided to bury Habila on Friday without requesting an autopsy.

The case has attracted widespread public attention following conflicting accounts of the events leading to Habila's death and growing calls for a transparent investigation.

SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that Habila was found dead a day after she and another woman, Anita Baski, arrived at the minister's residence from Kaduna State.

Police sources told SaharaReporters that the two women arrived at the residence on June 26 and that Habila was found unresponsive the following morning. The matter was initially handled by the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters before being transferred to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

Following SaharaReporters' report, Minister Umahi confirmed that Habila died at his residence. He maintained that she was a physiotherapist seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences to the Federal Ministry of Works and said he had advised the family to consent to an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

However, police sources involved in the investigation disputed aspects of the minister's account, telling SaharaReporters that investigators were not convinced Habila and Anita Baski were employees of the university as claimed.

The sources also insisted that an autopsy remained necessary before the body should be released for burial and disclosed that investigators had received information suggesting members of Habila's family were allegedly being pressured not to insist on one.

The authorities have yet to announce the cause of Habila's death, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident remain ongoing. (SaharaReporters, excluding headline)

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