The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD Nigeria) has called on the Federal Government to launch an independent investigation into the disappearance of five engineers attached to NELAN Consulting Limited, five years after they went missing while on official assignment in Ebonyi State.
In a statement issued on Monday, Executive Director of FENRAD, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, described the unresolved case as one of Nigeria’s most disturbing disappearances involving professionals engaged in public infrastructure development and urged authorities to ensure accountability and justice.
According to the organisation, the engineers Engr. Nelson Onyemeh, Engr. Ernest Edeani, Engr. Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Engr. Samuel Aneke, and Engr. Stanley Nwazulum left Enugu State on November 3, 2021, to supervise the Abakaliki Ring Road Project in Ebonyi State but never returned.
FENRAD noted that despite investigations, criminal proceedings against some suspects and official statements over the years, the whereabouts of the engineers remain unknown, leaving their families without answers.
The rights group described the case as more than a criminal investigation, arguing that it raises serious human rights concerns involving the constitutional rights to life, dignity, liberty, security and access to justice.
It stated that Nigeria is also obligated under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international human rights instruments to conduct prompt, impartial and transparent investigations into suspicious disappearances.
FENRAD acknowledged that conflicting accounts have emerged over the years regarding the circumstances surrounding the disappearance, while noting that concerns raised by the families over previous investigations remain contested and have not been determined by any court of law.
“It is therefore imperative that the search for truth be driven by credible evidence, due process, forensic integrity and institutional independence,” the statement said.
The organisation warned that the prolonged failure to resolve the case undermines public confidence in Nigeria’s criminal justice system and weakens trust in the state’s ability to protect professionals carrying out legitimate assignments.
It also expressed concern over the safety of engineers, consultants, civil servants, contractors, journalists, environmental defenders and whistleblowers involved in public projects, saying no professional should disappear while performing lawful duties without effective accountability.
FENRAD further argued that delays in investigations and prosecutions create the perception of institutional inertia and executive impunity, stressing that justice delayed in cases of suspected enforced disappearance amounts to justice denied.
The organisation urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to authorise an independent federal investigation insulated from political influence and led by a multidisciplinary team of experienced investigators, forensic experts, digital analysts and human rights specialists.
It also called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Attorney-General of the Federation and other relevant security agencies to reopen and comprehensively review all aspects of the investigation, including forensic, digital, intelligence and documentary evidence.
Addressing the Ebonyi State Government, FENRAD urged Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s administration to publish a comprehensive accountability report detailing every official action taken since the disappearance of the engineers.
The group said the report should disclose the level of cooperation between the state government and federal security agencies, clarify the status of official records and communications relating to the case, and support the establishment of an independent fact-finding panel involving jurists, forensic experts, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and civil society organisations.
FENRAD also called on the state government to provide unrestricted access to all relevant records and cooperate fully with any renewed federal investigation.
The organisation maintained that former Ebonyi State Governor and current Minister of Works, David Umahi, bears a continuing democratic responsibility to cooperate with all lawful efforts aimed at uncovering the truth surrounding the disappearance because the incident occurred during his administration.
However, it stressed that the appeal should not be interpreted as an allegation of criminal liability against Umahi, noting that only competent investigative and judicial processes can determine responsibility.
The group further urged the NHRC to institute an independent human rights inquiry into the case, while calling on the National Assembly to conduct a public hearing through its committees on Human Rights, Justice, Police Affairs and National Security.
It also appealed to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), NSE, COREN and civil society organisations to continue monitoring the matter, while encouraging international development partners involved in governance, accountability and infrastructure financing to promote transparency and respect for the rule of law.
Describing the disappearance as a national test of Nigeria’s commitment to justice and accountability, FENRAD said the families of the missing engineers deserve answers, the engineering profession deserves protection, and Nigerians deserve transparency and the rule of law. #securitynewsalert.com
