Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has called for comprehensive and independent investigations into the deaths of Mary Habila, Babatunde Dolapo Tanimola and victims of suspected politically motivated killings in Osun State, warning that the cases must not be swept under the carpet.
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In a statement made available to TheNigeriaLawyer, Falana said the right to life remained the most fundamental human right because no other right could be enjoyed without it.
He noted that the right was guaranteed by Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
According to him, the sanctity of human life requires that every sudden, violent, unnatural or suspicious death be properly investigated and subjected to the appropriate legal processes.
Falana first raised concerns over the death of Mary Habila, a young woman who was reportedly found dead and unclothed in a room at the country home of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on June 27, 2026.
He acknowledged that Umahi had denied any foul play or cover-up, stating that Habila had an existing medical condition and that the matter was reported to the police.
Falana, however, alleged that the scene might have been compromised when the minister handled the deceased’s phone and used it to speak with her boyfriend.
The senior lawyer also referred to a sworn affidavit in which Habila’s father reportedly rejected an autopsy and requested the release of her body for burial.
He said that although the police had declined the request, the authorities had yet to satisfactorily explain the delay in conducting the autopsy.
While sympathising with the deceased’s father, Falana maintained that a death occurring in suspicious circumstances could not be treated solely as a private family matter.
“The death of any citizen in suspicious circumstances is not a family affair,” he said.
He called on the Inspector-General of Police to take over the investigation because of the controversy surrounding the incident.
Falana also urged the Nigerian Medical Association to ensure that the autopsy was conducted without further delay to establish the cause of death.
The human rights lawyer further demanded an investigation into the reported death of Babatunde Dolapo Tanimola, identified by the Presidency as a prime suspect in the establishment of a purported government agency.
Tanimola was reported to have died in a fire incident at a hotel in Abuja on October 22, 2025.
According to Falana, the police said they confirmed the death through hospital and mortuary records, interviews with relatives and the hotel proprietor, as well as burial documentation.
He, however, said questions surrounding the origin of the fire had intensified following reports that the hotel where the incident occurred had been demolished.
Falana alleged that the demolition could have destroyed material evidence necessary for determining the circumstances surrounding the fire and Tanimola’s death.
“Whoever authorised the demolition of the hotel must have set out to cover up the alleged fire incident,” he said.
He observed that although President Bola Tinubu had directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate matters connected with the purported agency, the commission’s terms of reference did not appear to cover Tanimola’s suspicious death.
Falana consequently urged the Inspector-General of Police to take over the investigation and determine the cause of the fire, the circumstances of the death and the authority behind the hotel’s demolition.
He also addressed the police investigation into about 30 suspected politically motivated killings linked to the build-up to the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.
Falana recalled that the Nigeria Police Force had announced the commencement of an investigation into the cases and disclosed that several suspects had already been arrested.
He noted that some of the suspects were reportedly presented publicly by the police before being arraigned.
The senior lawyer called on the Attorney-General of Osun State to ensure that persons suspected of involvement in the killings were properly charged before the High Court where sufficient evidence existed.
He expressed concern over what he described as an inexplicable delay in investigating and prosecuting the politically motivated murder cases.
Falana maintained that the relevant Coroner Laws applicable in Ebonyi State, Osun State and the Federal Capital Territory require inquests into deaths that are sudden, violent, unnatural or suspicious.
He urged the authorities in the three jurisdictions to activate the applicable legal procedures rather than allowing the cases to fade from public attention.
Falana also called on the media to sustain public scrutiny and support demands for transparent investigations into the deaths.
He said journalists and civil society organisations had a responsibility to ensure that the cases were not abandoned, suppressed or treated as matters incapable of attracting full criminal and judicial inquiries.
“These deaths must not be swept under the carpet,” Falana declared.
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