The Incorporated Trustees of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ United Association (SOKAPU) have filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Kaduna against the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over the death of a nurse, Mary Habila, who was attached to the minister’s medical team.
In the suit, the association is asking the court to order an autopsy to determine the exact cause of Habila’s death and is seeking ₦20 billion in damages from the minister, alleging that her death resulted from a breach of duty of care while she was under his custody.
Mary Habila reportedly died on June 27 at the minister’s residence, a development that has sparked widespread public interest and renewed calls for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Apart from Umahi, SOKAPU named Habila Tanko Wisdom, the deceased’s father, the Attorney-General of Ebonyi State and the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State as respondents in the suit.
According to the court filings, the association wants the court to compel the relevant authorities to conduct a post-mortem examination on the deceased in order to establish the cause of death through an independent medical process.
The legal action comes amid ongoing developments in the case. The Ebonyi State Police Command had earlier stated that an autopsy would proceed despite reports that some members of the deceased’s family were opposed to the procedure.
Umahi had also written to the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police requesting that an autopsy be carried out to aid investigations into the circumstances surrounding the nurse’s death.
The suit is expected to raise legal issues relating to duty of care, accountability and the judicial process for determining the cause of death in cases of public interest.
As of the time this report was filed, the Federal High Court had not fixed a date for the commencement of proceedings.
(Ripples)