~ Urge Police, DSS to Bring Perpetrators to Justice
By Our Correspondent
Families of five engineers of NELAN Construction Ltd abducted in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, in November 2021 have petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, demanding urgent action to unravel the whereabouts of their missing husbands and fathers.
The petition, written on behalf of the families by their solicitors, CNO Attorneys, was signed by Barr. Carl Umegboro, Head of Civil Rights.
The wives of the missing engineers — Mrs. Patricia Onyemeh, Mrs. Lovett Edeani, Mrs. Ifeoma Ejiofor, Mrs. Esther Aneke and Mrs. Nwazulum — said their husbands were abducted while on a legitimate assignment in Ebonyi State.
According to the petition, the engineers were consultants supervising the Ebonyi Ring Road project financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The families alleged that the engineers faced hostility from the administration of former Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, which they claimed was uncomfortable with the appointment of NELAN engineers as consultants on the project.
The five missing engineers were identified as: Engr. Nelson Onyemeh, lead consultant and CEO from Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State; Engr. Ikechukwu Ejiofor from Umunya in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State; Engr. Stanley Nwazulum from Amawbia in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State;
Engr. Ernest Edeani from Nkanu in Enugu State; and Engr. Samuel Aneke, also from Nkanu in Enugu State.
Copies of the petition were also sent to the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
In the petition made available to journalists, the families lamented that nearly five years after the incident, the whereabouts of the engineers remain unknown.
They also alleged that the investigation into the abduction suffered setbacks following the alleged sudden dismissal of a DSS investigating officer, Mr. Victor Chijioke Onyesom, at the peak of the probe.
According to the petition, the officer’s laptop containing vital investigation materials was allegedly confiscated by the security agency, raising suspicion of foul play.
The families further claimed that the engineers were abducted in Effium community in Ebonyi State during clashes linked to disagreements over contract terms relating to the AfDB-funded project.
They alleged that the state government had attempted to alter the project’s contractual structure but that the consultants resisted the move because the funding arrangement limited government interference.
The petition also recalled that former governor Umahi allegedly announced during a State Executive Council meeting that the engineers had been killed and buried by “Ezza warriors,” even while investigations by security agencies were ongoing.
The families said the announcement raised questions about how the information became available before the completion of investigations by the police and DSS.
They further alleged that during the investigation, police exhumed five skeletal remains from a bush and presented them to the families as those of the missing engineers.
However, the families rejected the claim after conducting independent DNA tests, which reportedly showed that the remains did not belong to the engineers.
The test results also allegedly indicated that one of the skeletons belonged to a female.
Describing the development as traumatic, the families said they have remained in deep distress since the disappearance of the engineers.
They accused authorities of failing to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter and warned that the situation amounts to a violation of the victims’ fundamental rights to life, dignity and liberty as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution and international human rights instruments.
The solicitors therefore called on the Federal Government to launch a fresh and comprehensive investigation into the abduction.
They also demanded protection for the dismissed DSS officer who handled the case and urged authorities to review the circumstances surrounding his alleged dismissal.
The families warned that if the government fails to act, they may embark on sustained protests to demand justice for their missing loved ones.
