Families of five construction engineers who went missing in November 2021, have called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in their case, alleging delays, conspiracy and lack of accountability by security agencies.

In a petition addressed to President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, solicitors, CNO Attorneys representing the families said they were acting on behalf of the wives and relatives of the missing engineers, who, until there kidnap, were staff of NELAN Construction Limited.

The legal representatives stated that the engineers were abducted while on official assignment as consultants supervising a ring road project in Ebonyi State funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). They stressed that the victims were “law-abiding citizens and professionals” who travelled for legitimate duty when they got missing.

According to the petition, the families expressed frustration over “disproportionate and suspicious delay” by security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Department of State Services (DSS), in determining the whereabouts of the victims.

They lamented that since the incident, no meaningful information had been provided regarding the fate of the engineers, who they described as husbands, fathers and breadwinners.

The petition further alleged that the investigation process had been marred by “intrigues and conspiracies,” including the sudden dismissal of a DSS investigation officer, Victor Onyesom, and the confiscation of his work tools at a critical stage of the probe.

According to the lawyers, the continued failure to locate the engineers or prosecute those responsible violates Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which mandates the government to ensure the security and welfare of its citizens.

They identified the missing engineers as Nelson Onyemeh, Ernest Edeani, Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Samuel Aneke and Stanley Nwazulum, noting that all efforts by their families to get answers yielded no results.

Providing background to the incident, the petition stated that the engineers were allegedly abducted in Effium community of Ebonyi amid tensions linked to disagreements over the execution of the AfDB-funded project. It claimed that disputes arose between the lead consultant and the then administration of Governor Dave Umahi over contract terms, which the engineers reportedly resisted altering.

The families further alleged that while investigations were ongoing, the state government publicly announced that the engineers had been killed and buried, even before security agencies concluded their findings. They questioned how such information became available ahead of official investigative outcomes.

They added that the announcement heightened their concerns and deepened suspicions surrounding the case, especially as investigations were said to be nearing a decisive stage before being disrupted.

The petitioners are demanding that the Federal Government produce the missing engineers, ensure a transparent investigation, and bring all perpetrators and masterminds to justice without further delay. (The Guardian)