By Amos Aar
How does a society respond when a grieving father says, “Give me my daughter’s body for burial,” while many Nigerians insist that her death must first be thoroughly investigated?
That question has continued to dominate public discourse following the mysterious death of Mary Habila, a young nurse whose passing has generated emotions, controversy and competing calls for closure and justice.
Unlike many deaths that quietly fade from public memory after funeral rites, Mary’s case has taken a different path; just as the controversy over the alleged closure for a grieving father versus public justice.
What began as a family tragedy has gradually transformed into a national discussion and argument about whether suspicious deaths should be investigated to their logical conclusion even when immediate relatives prefer otherwise.
The conversation assumed a fresh dimension after Mary’s father, Tanko Habila Wisdom, publicly declared that he neither wanted an autopsy nor suspected anyone over his daughter’s death.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, the bereaved father said his only concern was to recover his daughter’s remains for burial.
“Just as my Barrister has just said, I don’t have much to talk in this case. All that I want is the corpse of my daughter. We don’t keep death of a little child up to so long, just like this. So that is why I am here to say once again and for all. I need the corpse of my daughter to take her for burial.
“I don’t want the autopsy… I am not suspecting anybody because death can occur. Even as we are standing here, one can fall here now and die. So, we are not suspecting anybody, it has happened, it has happened.”
For a grieving father, those words reflected a desire to lay his daughter to rest and begin the difficult journey of mourning.
Yet, while the family’s position appeared settled, the larger public conversation was far from over.
Long before Mary’s father spoke, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, had mounted a robust public defence against allegations circulating on social media.
During a televised interview, Umahi insisted he had no hand in the young woman’s death, describing her as someone he regarded like a daughter.
He dismissed allegations linking him to the incident, maintained that there was no basis for the accusations against him and welcomed scientific investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
The minister stated that truth should prevail over rumours and maintained that the exact cause of death should be established through due process rather than speculation.
Despite those public explanations from both the minister and the deceased’s father, calls for an independent and transparent investigation have continued to linger.
Among those who insist the matter should not end without establishing the cause of death is human and gender rights activist, Mr Ukan Kurugh.
In an interview with this reporter, Kurugh argued that the issue has gone beyond the wishes of the immediate family because it now concerns public confidence in justice and accountability.
“The death of Mary Habila should be thoroughly investigated because this is not about the father or family anymore. The cause of death must be ascertained just to get a closure on this because this might set a precedence against next time.
“Besides, this happened at a big man’s house and he has been moving around like nothing really happened. The process should be allowed to flow and cause of death must be known to all,” he insisted.
Kurugh’s position represents the concerns of many Nigerians who believe that where a death occurs under unusual circumstances, determining the medical cause is not merely a private family matter but also a public responsibility.
The controversy has since spread across social media, where thousands have continued to debate whether the father’s decision should automatically bring the matter to an end.
Some argue that his wishes deserve absolute respect because he has suffered the greatest loss.
Others contend that once a case attracts police attention and raises public concern, the search for truth extends beyond the family.
Orommose Ossy wrote on Facebook, “Oga, in this situation, set aside tradition and let the actual legal costs be acknowledged. Permit the autopsy and allow the authorities to conduct a proper investigation. Such a death is too unusual to dismiss” .
Similarly, Abdul Rahman Adegunju commented, “This is a criminal matter between the state and the suspect(s). As such, the deceased’s father has no legal authority to demand the release of the body before an autopsy is conducted.
“The autopsy forms part of the criminal investigation, and due process must take its course. We’re not in a Banana Republic.”
One of the reasons many Nigerians remain emotionally invested in the case is because it reminds them of another controversial death that dominated national discourse.
When popular singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, died in September 2023, he was buried with his family’s approval in accordance with tradition.
However, sustained public pressure eventually led to the exhumation of his remains for an autopsy as investigators sought answers to questions surrounding his death.
Although the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death differ from those of Mary Habila, both cases illustrate how unusual deaths can evolve from private family tragedies into matters of national concern. Whether Mary’s case eventually follows a similar path remains uncertain.
For now, no official investigation has concluded that any crime was committed. Neither has any court made findings regarding the circumstances surrounding her death.
What remains are two competing realities. On one hand is a father who believes death can come naturally, suspects no one and simply wants to bury his daughter
On the other are many Nigerians, including rights advocates such as Ukan Kurugh, who insist that establishing the exact cause of death is necessary not only for Mary’s sake but also for public confidence in the justice system.
Perhaps that explains why, despite the father’s appeal for closure and Umahi’s public defence, the conversation has refused to fade.
The issue is no longer simply about assigning blame. It is about answering a question that continues to linger in the minds of Nigerians:
What really caused the death of Mary Habila? Until that question is conclusively answered through lawful and transparent processes, it is unlikely that public interest in the case of unfolding accountability test, will disappear.
