SOKAPU drags Umahi to court over nurse’s death, seeks N20bn compensation

The Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union (SOKAPU) has instituted legal action against the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over the death of Nurse Mary Habila, asking the court to order an autopsy and award N20 billion in damages.

The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Kaduna by the Incorporated Trustees of SOKAPU, seeks judicial intervention to establish the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death.

The group is urging the court to direct that an autopsy be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, insisting that unresolved questions surrounding the incident make an independent medical examination necessary.

SOKAPU is also asking the court to award N20 billion in damages, alleging that the deceased’s rights were violated and that there was a failure in the duty of care owed to her.

Other defendants named in the suit include Habila Tanko Wisdom, the deceased’s father, the Attorney General of Ebonyi State and the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State.

The case comes amid growing public interest in the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death, which has generated widespread reactions.

The Ebonyi State Police Command had earlier maintained that an autopsy should be carried out to establish the cause of death, despite reports that some members of the deceased’s family were opposed to the procedure.

Umahi had also publicly supported an autopsy, stating that it was the most appropriate way to establish the facts and dispel speculation surrounding the incident.

The Federal High Court is expected to fix a date for the hearing of the matter.