![Minister of Works, Dave Umahi [PHOTO CREDIT: @DavidNwezeUmahi2]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2021/01/127447835_171904514408139_7274703531362214781_o.jpg?fit=2048%2C1153&ssl=1)
Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has clarified that five engineers from NELAN Consulting Engineers who went missing during the Effium crisis in Ebonyi State were victims of the wider communal violence between Effium and Ezza-Effium Communities.
In a statement by his media aide, Francis Nwaze, on Monday, Mr Umahi explained that the engineers were not specifically targeted during the incident, but were among many victims of the crisis that engulfed the area at the time.
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The minister’s clarification came in response to a peaceful protest by family members and friends of the late engineers.
The engineers were abducted in November 2021 by armed men while supervising the Abakaliki Ring Road project in Ebonyi State, a project financed by the African Development Bank.
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They have been identified as Nelson Onyemeh, Ernest Edeani, Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Samuel Aneke and Stanley Nwazulum, all employees of NELAN Construction Ltd.
They have not been seen since then.
Mr Umahi was the governor of Ebonyi State at the time of the incident.
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He served as the governor of the South-eastern state from 2015 to 2023.
PREMIUM TIMES has documented how the violence was motivated by political interest and aided by locals who pay taxes to fund the crisis.
‘What I did at the time’
Mr Umahi stressed that he understands the “deep pain” that comes with losing a loved one, saying no family deserves such grief.
The minister, who suggested that the abducted engineers were already dead, claimed he treated the matter with the seriousness it deserved at the time.
He said, upon receiving information about the incident, he mobilised security operatives who launched intensive search and investigative efforts to determine the whereabouts of the engineers and track down the abductors.
Mr Umahi said he personally visited the incident site with security operatives and was directly involved in the search efforts. He never treated the matter lightly and never looked away from the responsibility of the state to pursue the truth.
“These efforts led to the arrest of individuals involved in the dastardly act. Those arrested confessed to committing the crime, and they have remained in custody since then,” he said.
The minister stressed that the matter is still before a court and that the trial has continued even after he left office as governor.
“It must therefore be clearly understood that the (Ebonyi State) government under Senator Umahi did not abandon the matter, suppress it, or fail to act.
“Swift investigative actions were taken, arrests were made, and the suspects were handed over to the justice system, where the case continues to be prosecuted,” he stated.
‘I never wished for the tragedy’
Mr Umahi reiterated that he never wished for the tragedy that befell the NELAN engineers in Ebonyi.
“The communal violence that engulfed Effium at the time created a dangerous environment that sadly led to the loss of many innocent lives, including the NELAN engineers,” he said
The former governor maintained that he worked “tirelessly” to address violence at the time.
He expressed sympathy to the families of the engineers, adding that the matter remains the subject of an ongoing judicial process.
“David Umahi remains committed to justice, truth, and the rule of law, and he continues to pray for the repose of the souls of the departed and for strength for their families,” he stated.
Petition to Tinubu, Akpabio, Abbas
Before the protest on Monday, wives of five engineers had petitioned President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, requesting their intervention in the matter.
READ ALSO: Umahi denies rift with Julius Berger
In the petition written by the families’ lawyers, CNO Attorneys and dated 10 March, the women – Patricia Onyemeh, Lovett Edeani, Ifeoma Ejiofor, Esther Aneke and Nwazulum – asked the federal government to compel the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to account for the missing engineers and intensify efforts to determine their fate.
They also demanded a comprehensive investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the abduction.
They said they had endured years of uncertainty over the disappearance of their husbands, who were consultants supervising the road project.
According to the petitioners, the security agencies have failed to provide any clear information about the whereabouts of the engineers despite the passage of several years since their abduction.
They also alleged that the investigation into the case suffered a setback after an SSS officer, Victor Onyesom, who was handling it, was removed from the probe without formal notice.
They claimed his work laptop, which contained investigative materials, was seized by the agency at the height of the investigation.
The Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, all members of the National Assembly from Enugu State, and the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission were copied in the petition.
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