ABUJA: Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has rejected allegations that he was negligent in the unresolved killing of five engineers in Ebonyi State, insisting that the incident occurred during a violent communal crisis and that authorities acted promptly to investigate the matter.
Umahi’s response followed a protest staged in Abuja by individuals identified as family members and sympathizers of the victims, who demanded justice four years after the engineers disappeared.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, the minister acknowledged the protest but maintained that the administration under him as governor did not abandon the case.
Umahi expressed sympathy for the families of the slain engineers, describing the incident as a tragic loss, but stressed that the state government at the time handled the matter with seriousness and urgency.
According to the statement, the engineers disappeared on November 3, 2021, at the height of the violent communal clashes between the Effium and Ezza-Effium groups in the Effium community.
The minister explained that the engineers were not deliberately targeted but became victims of the broader conflict that engulfed the area, resulting in numerous deaths and widespread destruction of property.
He noted that once information about the incident reached him while serving as governor of Ebonyi State, security agencies were immediately mobilised to investigate the matter and locate the missing engineers.
Umahi added that he personally visited the scene with security operatives and actively participated in search and rescue efforts aimed at determining the fate of the victims and identifying those responsible.
The statement further disclosed that investigations led to the arrest of suspects who allegedly confessed to committing the crime.
According to the minister, those arrested have remained in custody while the case continues to progress through the judicial system.
He emphasized that the government under his leadership neither ignored the incident nor attempted to suppress it.
Immediate investigative actions were taken, arrests were made and the suspects were handed over to the justice system, where the case is still being prosecuted, the statement noted.
The five engineers—Nelson Onyemeh, Ernest Edeani, Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Samuel Aneke, and Stanley Nwazulum were staff of NELAN Consulting Engineers, an engineering firm based in Enugu.
They were supervising the Abakaliki Ring Road project, which was financed by the African Development Bank, when they were reportedly abducted in the Effium area of Ohaukwu Local Government Area.
The abduction occurred during a period of heightened insecurity triggered by the communal clashes between the Effium and Ezza-Effium groups.
At the time, there were widespread reports suggesting that the engineers had been killed and buried in a forest, although their bodies were never officially recovered.
The case sparked national outrage and prompted calls for investigations from lawmakers, civil society organizations and professional bodies within the engineering sector.
Four years after the incident, families of the victims continue to demand answers, submitting petitions to the federal government and organising protests to press authorities to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the engineers’ disappearance and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
While sympathizing with the families, Umahi urged that discussions about the incident be guided by facts and respect for the ongoing judicial process.
