SOKAPU sues Umahi over Nurse Habila’s death; demands autopsy, N20bn damages

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Late Mary Habila

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By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

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The Incorporated Trustees of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ United Association, SOKAPU, has instituted a suit before the Federal High Court in Kaduna against the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over the death of Mary Habila, a nurse who died while attached to the minister’s medical team.

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Mary Habila reportedly died on June 27 at the minister’s residence, an incident that has continued to attract public attention and calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.

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In the suit, SOKAPU also joined Habila Tanko Wisdom, father of the deceased, the Attorney-General of Ebonyi State, and the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State as respondents.

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The association is seeking an order compelling the conduct of an autopsy on the deceased to establish the cause of death and is also claiming N20 billion in damages against the minister over the alleged loss of life arising from what it described as a breach of duty of care while the deceased was under his custody.

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The legal action follows earlier developments in which the Ebonyi State Police Command maintained that an autopsy would be conducted despite reported opposition from some members of the deceased’s family.

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Umahi had also written to the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police requesting that an autopsy be carried out as part of efforts to determine the circumstances surrounding the nurse’s death.

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The case is expected to test legal questions surrounding duty of care, accountability, and the determination of the cause of death through judicial and investigative processes.

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No hearing date had been announced at the time of filing this report.

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