A rights advocacy group, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has formally requested clarification from the Nigeria Police Force on key issues surrounding the ongoing investigation into the death of Miss Mary Habila.
The Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwangwuma, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The News Chronicle in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Sunday.
The circumstances surrounding Habila’s death have generated widespread public concern because the incident reportedly occurred within premises linked to the residence of the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi.
The minister has denied any wrongdoing and has called for a forensic autopsy, while the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that no criminal charges have been filed against anyone.
Nwangwuma said that while the group acknowledged the police’s appeal for public restraint and its assurance that investigations were ongoing, it believes transparency, professionalism, and timely communication of facts are essential to maintaining public confidence in an investigation that has attracted national attention.
According to him, RULAAC’s intervention should not be interpreted as attributing criminal responsibility to any individual but as an effort to ensure that the investigation is conducted in line with the principles of the rule of law, accountability, equality before the law, and internationally accepted standards for investigating suspicious deaths.
He added that the organisation had informed the Nigeria Police Force that it had received information from sources it considered sufficiently credible to warrant official clarification.
Although RULAAC said it could not independently verify the information, Nwangwuma stated that it considered it appropriate to seek clarification from the appropriate investigative authority.
The group requested clarification on whether investigators had established a verified timeline of events, including the movements and presence of all persons within the residence during the period surrounding Habila’s death. It also sought clarification on reports that the minister was present at the residence on the night of the incident and departed the following morning.
“RULAAC also wants the public to be informed whether it is true that, following the discovery of Miss Habila’s death, the minister contacted the Director of Medical Services of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital to evacuate the body, and whether the director declined pending police examination and documentation of the scene. If so, what measures were taken to preserve the scene and relevant forensic evidence?
“We also want to know whether the scene was secured immediately, which police formation first responded to the incident, and what forensic and investigative procedures have since been undertaken.
“Additionally, whether statements have been obtained from all persons present within the residence during the relevant period and whether all necessary investigative steps have been taken to establish the cause and circumstances of Miss Habila’s death,” Nwangwuma said.
The RULAAC executive director further noted that the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death had attracted heightened public interest because of previous incidents in Ebonyi State that remain matters of public concern, including the disappearance of five engineers and the 2021 death of the then Commissioner for Infrastructure and Development, Engineer Fidelis Nweze.
“It has also been publicly reported that Senator Umahi referred to both the late Engineer Nweze and Miss Habila as persons who were very close to him,” he said.
“We emphasise that these references are made solely to underscore the importance of ensuring that the present investigation is thorough, impartial, professional, and evidence-based. They should not be interpreted as suggesting criminal responsibility or wrongdoing on the part of any individual.
“RULAAC reiterates that justice requires both accountability and fairness. No person should be convicted in the court of public opinion, just as no person, regardless of office or influence, should be insulated from lawful investigation. The credibility of the investigation will ultimately depend on its independence, transparency, scientific rigour, and adherence to due process.
“We respectfully urge the Nigeria Police Force to provide factual clarification on these issues, continue to keep the public appropriately informed as investigations progress, and ensure that every investigative decision is guided solely by law and evidence.
“The death of a young Nigerian under circumstances that remain unclear deserves nothing less than a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation capable of establishing the truth, delivering justice where appropriate, and strengthening public confidence in the administration of justice.”
This version is grammatically correct, follows standard newspaper style, removes repetition, and presents the allegations and requests in a neutral, balanced manner.
