Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, to take over investigations into the controversial deaths of Mary Habila and Babatunde Tanimola, insisting that both cases must be thoroughly investigated.
In a statement issued on Monday and titled These Deaths Must Not Be Swept Under the Carpet, Falana also called for the immediate conduct of an autopsy on Habila and urged authorities to ensure transparent investigations into politically motivated killings in Osun State.
Describing the right to life as the most fundamental of all human rights, Falana said every suspicious death deserved a thorough and independent investigation.
He expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding the death of Habila, who was found dead and unclothed on 27 June 2026 in a room at the country home of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Although Umahi has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the deceased had an existing medical condition and that the matter was reported to the police, Falana questioned the handling of the incident.
He alleged that the scene may have been compromised after the minister reportedly handled Habila’s mobile phone to speak with her boyfriend before investigators arrived.
Falana also criticised the delay in conducting an autopsy after the Nigeria Police Force declined a request by Habila’s father to release the body for burial.
He noted that while the deceased’s father had opposed an autopsy and sought the release of the body, the police had not explained the delay in carrying out the post-mortem examination.
While sympathising with Habila’s family, Falana argued that deaths occurring under suspicious circumstances are matters of public interest rather than private family affairs.
He therefore urged the Inspector-General of Police to assume direct responsibility for the investigation and called on the Nigerian Medical Association to ensure that the autopsy is conducted without further delay.
Falana also demanded an independent investigation into the death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom the Presidency had identified as a principal suspect in the alleged establishment of a fake government agency.
He noted that although the police had stated that Tanimola died in a hotel fire in Abuja on 22 October 2025 and said the death was verified through hospital and mortuary records, interviews with relatives, the hotel proprietor and burial records, several unanswered questions remained.
The senior lawyer questioned the reported demolition of the hotel where the fire occurred, suggesting that the action may have undermined efforts to establish the cause of the incident.
He argued that because the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) investigation into the alleged fake agency did not include Tanimola’s death within its terms of reference, the matter should be investigated by the Nigeria Police Force.
Falana also welcomed the police decision to investigate 30 suspected politically motivated killings linked to the build-up to the 15 August governorship election in Osun State.
He urged the Osun State Attorney-General to ensure that suspects arrested in connection with the killings are promptly arraigned before the High Court.
The senior advocate further reminded the authorities that the Coroner Laws of Ebonyi State, Osun State and the Federal Capital Territory require inquests into sudden, violent, unnatural or suspicious deaths.
He called on the media and the public to continue demanding accountability, insisting that the cases should not be ignored or abandoned.
The deaths of Habila and Tanimola have attracted widespread public attention, with legal practitioners and civil society organisations calling for transparent investigations to strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
