Minister of Works David Umahi has denied claims of negligence in the killing of five engineers working for NELAN Consulting Engineers in Ebonyi State.
Minister Umahi spoke on Monday through a statement issued in Abuja by his senior special assistant on media Francis Nwaze.
His response followed a protest in Abuja by people identified as family members and sympathisers of the engineers who asked for justice four years after the incident.
Umahi said the engineers were killed during the communal crisis between Effium and Ezza-Effium.
According to the statement, the engineers went missing on November 3, 2021 during the conflict in Effium.
Umahi said the engineers were not singled out but were victims of the crisis which led to deaths and destruction in the area.
“Immediately the information about the incident reached the then governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Umahi, he mobilised security agencies and launched search and investigative efforts to determine the whereabouts of the engineers and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the statement said.
He said he visited the area with security operatives and took part in the search efforts.
The statement said investigations led to the arrest of suspects who confessed to the crime and have remained in custody.
It added that the case is still before the court.
Umahi said the state government did not abandon the matter and that investigations were carried out before the suspects were handed over to the justice system.
The engineers were Nelson Onyemeh, Ernest Edeani, Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Samuel Aneke and Stanley Nwazulum.
They were supervising the Abakaliki Ring Road project financed by the African Development Bank.
The engineers were reported abducted while working in Effium in Ohaukwu Local Government Area.
Reports at the time said they were killed and buried in a forest, but their bodies were not recovered.
The case led to calls for investigation by lawmakers, civil groups and members of the engineering community.
Four years after the incident, families of the victims have continued to ask the government to determine what happened and prosecute those responsible.
