Umahi Addresses the Abduction of Five Engineers in Ebonyi Since 2021

The Minister of Works in Nigeria, Dave Umahi, has explained that the five engineers from NELAN Consulting Engineers, who have been missing since the Effium crisis in Ebonyi, were casualties of broader communal violence between the Effium and Ezza-Effium communities.

In a statement released by his media aide, Francis Nwaze, on Monday, Umahi emphasized that these engineers were not the primary targets but were among the many victims affected by the turmoil in the region at that time.

This clarification came in response to a peaceful demonstration led by the families and friends of the missing engineers.

The engineers were taken by armed men in November 2021 while they were overseeing the Abakaliki Ring Road project in Ebonyi, which was funded by the African Development Bank.

They have been identified as Nelson Onyemeh, Ernest Edeani, Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Samuel Aneke, and Stanley Nwazulum, all affiliated with NELAN Construction Ltd, and have not been seen since the incident occurred.

Umahi, who was the governor of Ebonyi State at the time, expressed his understanding of the profound grief associated with losing a loved one. He conveyed that no family should endure such suffering.

He suggested, however, that the abducted engineers may have already lost their lives and stated that he approached the situation with urgency when the news first broke. According to him, he coordinated security forces to conduct an intense search and investigation to locate the engineers and apprehend their captors.

Umahi noted that he personally visited the site of the incident with security personnel and played an active role in search operations, asserting that he did not take the situation lightly nor evade responsibility. He claimed these efforts led to the arrest of individuals linked to the crime who confessed and have remained in custody.

The minister highlighted that the case is still ongoing in court, with proceedings continuing after he stepped down from his position as governor.

He reinforced that his administration did not neglect, suppress, or ignore the issue, stating that prompt investigations were initiated, arrests were carried out, and the suspects were forwarded to the justice system.

During the protest, the wives of the five engineers sent a petition to President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, urging them to intervene in the case.

In the petition, dated March 10 and crafted by the families' lawyers, CNO Attorneys, the women—Patricia Onyemeh, Lovett Edeani, Ifeoma Ejiofor, Esther Aneke, and Nwazulum—requested the federal government to compel the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police to account for the missing engineers and amplify efforts to determine their status.

They also called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of the individuals responsible for the abduction, expressing their frustration over years of uncertainty regarding their husbands, who were engaged as consultants managing the road project.

The petitioners alleged that security agencies have failed to provide substantial information regarding the engineers' whereabouts, despite the lengthy time since their abduction. They also claimed that the investigation hit a wall when an SSS officer overseeing the probe was reassigned without notification, and his laptop, believed to contain important materials, was seized by the agency during the investigation process.

The petition also included the Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, Peter Mbah, the Governor of Enugu State, local representatives from the National Assembly in Enugu State, and the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission as recipients.