Falana Demands Investigation into Habila and Tanimola Deaths

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Inspector-General of Police to take over investigations into the controversial deaths of Mary Habila and Babatunde Tanimola, insisting that these cases must not be overlooked. Falana demanded a swift autopsy in Habila's case, who was found dead and unclad on June 27, 2026, at the home of Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Ebonyi State.

Despite Umahi's denial of foul play, citing Habila's existing medical condition, Falana criticized the police's handling of the incident and the delay in conducting an autopsy. He noted that the Nigeria Police Force rejected Habila's father's request to release her body for burial.

Falana also called for an independent investigation into Tanimola's death, which the police reported as occurring in a hotel fire in Abuja on October 22, 2025. He emphasized that suspicious deaths warrant thorough public interest investigations.