…Accuse security agencies of cover-up
The families of five engineers who disappeared in Ebonyi State in November 2021 have staged a protest in Abuja, demanding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervene and order a fresh investigation into the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
The engineers identified as Engr. Nelson Onyemeh, Engr. Ernest Edeani, Engr. Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Engr. Samuel Aneke, and Engr. Stanley Nwazulum, were consultants with NELAN Construction Limited, was reportedly working on the Abakaliki Ring Road project funded by the African Development Bank when they went missing in Ebonyi State.
The wives, family members and colleagues of the missing engineers who stormed the headquarters of the Ministry of Works with placards and photographs of the missing engineers on Monday in Abuja, accused security agencies of allegedly covering up the case and failing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the engineers’ disappearance nearly five years after the incident.
In a petition dated March 10, 2026, through a team of lawyers led by Carl Umegboro and addressed to the President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, the families called for an independent probe into the matter.
According to the petition, the engineers disappeared amid disagreements over the project during the administration of former Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi.
The petition partly reads: “Our clients lament helplessly that till date nothing meaningful has been heard about the whereabouts of the victims, who are husbands, fathers and breadwinners in their respective families.”
The families accused the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services of failing to provide clear answers despite years of investigation.
They further alleged that an investigator in the DSS who handled the case was abruptly removed during the probe, and his laptop, which allegedly contained crucial findings, was confiscated.
The petition claimed, “The sudden unlawful dismissal of the DSS investigation officer at the peak of the investigation and the seizure of his laptop suggest mischief and conspiracy against the investigation.”
The families also questioned a public statement reportedly made during the crisis by Umahi, claiming that the engineers had been killed and buried in the bush by local militias.
The lawyers said the statement was made while security agencies were still investigating the case, raising concerns about how such information became available before the conclusion of the probe.
Adding to the controversy, the petition revealed that skeletal remains earlier presented to the families by security authorities as those of the missing engineers were rejected after DNA testing.
According to the document, the families funded independent DNA tests, which allegedly showed that the remains did not belong to the engineers.
“The result revealed that the skeletal remains were negative for the missing engineers, and one of the remains even belonged to a female,” the petition added.
Describing the situation as “a grave miscarriage of justice,” the families called on the President to order an independent investigation and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
They argued that the prolonged uncertainty had left the families in deep trauma.
“At every moment of recounting their ordeal, it has always been a competition for shedding tears by the families,” the petition added.
The lawyers handling the petition urged the Federal Government to compel security agencies to produce the missing engineers or provide a definitive account of their fate.
“Security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government, and justice must be done without further delay.”
