Umahi denies negligence in Ebonyi engineers’ killing, says suspects were arrested and prosecution continues amid ongoing judicial process
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Monday denied allegations of negligence in the killing of five engineers working for NELAN Consulting Engineers in Ebonyi State, saying the incident occurred amid a violent communal crisis and that authorities at the time took swift action to investigate the crime.
The minister’s response followed a protest in Abuja by individuals identified as family members and sympathisers of the slain engineers, who demanded justice four years after the incident.
In a statement issued in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Umahi said the protest had drawn the attention of his office but insisted that his administration as governor of the state did not abandon the case.
He expressed sympathy for the families of the victims, describing the deaths as a painful tragedy, but maintained that the matter had been treated with seriousness while he served as governor.
According to the statement, the disappearance of the engineers occurred on November 3, 2021, during the height of the violent communal conflict between Effium and Ezza-Effium groups in Effium.
The minister said the engineers were not targeted in isolation but were victims of a broader crisis that claimed several lives and destroyed property during the conflict.
Umahi stated that immediately the information reached him as governor, he mobilised security agencies and initiated search and investigative operations to determine the fate of the victims and identify those responsible.
He added that he personally visited the scene with security operatives and was directly involved in the search efforts, stressing that the state government never treated the matter lightly.
The statement noted that the investigations led to the arrest of suspects who allegedly confessed to committing the crime, adding that they had remained in custody since then while the case continued in court.
“The unfortunate disappearance of the engineers occurred at the height of the violent Effium vs. Ezza Effium communal conflict, a crisis that consumed lives and properties and threw the area into severe insecurity. The engineers were not singled out in isolation; they were victims of a wider conflict that tragically claimed many lives during that period.
“Immediately the information about the incident reached the then Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Umahi, he swiftly mobilised security agencies and launched intensive search and investigative efforts to determine the whereabouts of the engineers and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“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. The matter is still before the court, and the judicial process continues even after Senator Umahi left office as governor.
“It must therefore be clearly understood that the 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.
The minister also said the violent communal crisis that engulfed the Effiumarea at the time created a dangerous security environment that led to the loss of several innocent lives, including the engineers.
While expressing sympathy with the families, Umahi urged that public discourse on the issue be guided by facts and the ongoing judicial process.
The engineers: Nelson Onyemeh, Ernest Edeani, Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Samuel Aneke and Stanley Nwazulum were employees of NELAN Consulting Engineers, an Enugu-based firm supervising the Abakaliki Ring Road project financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
They were reportedly abducted while carrying out supervisory work on the project in Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area. The incident occurred at a time when violent communal clashes between Effiumand Ezza-Effium groups had created widespread insecurity in the area.
Following their disappearance, there were reports and allegations that the engineers had been killed and buried in a forest, although their bodies were never publicly recovered. The case triggered controversy at the time and prompted calls for investigations by lawmakers, civil society groups and members of the engineering community.
Four years after the incident, families of the victims have continued to demand answers, petitioning the federal government and staging protests in Abuja to press authorities to determine the fate of the engineers and prosecute those responsible.
