FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FIVE YEARS AFTER THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE NELAN ENGINEERS: FENRAD DEMANDS AN INDEPENDENT FEDERAL INVESTIGATION, STATE ACCOUNTABILITY, AND JUSTICE
Date: 14 July 2026
The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD Nigeria) a promient Human Rights and public accountability watchdogs expresses grave concern over the continued disappearance of five engineers attached to NELAN Consulting Limited, who reportedly went missing while on official assignment in Ebonyi State on 3 November 2021.
Five years have passed since Engr. Nelson Onyemeh, Engr. Ernest Edeani, Engr. Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Engr. Samuel Aneke, and Engr. Stanley Nwazulum left Enugu State in the course of their professional duties to supervise the Abakaliki Ring Road Project and never returned.
Their disappearance remains one of Nigeria’s most disturbing unresolved cases involving professionals engaged in public infrastructure development.
For five years, their wives, children, families, colleagues, and the Nigerian public have waited in vain for definitive answers regarding their fate.
Despite investigations, criminal proceedings against certain suspects, and various official statements over the years, the whereabouts of the engineers remain unknown, while their families continue to demand truth, justice, and accountability.
FENRAD views this unresolved matter not merely as a criminal investigation but as a profound human rights concern. Every Nigerian enjoys the constitutional rights to life, dignity of the human person, personal liberty, security, and access to justice under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Nigeria is equally bound by its obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international human rights instruments, which require the State to conduct prompt, effective, impartial, and transparent investigations into suspicious disappearances.
The Foundation notes that conflicting accounts have emerged over the years regarding the circumstances surrounding the disappearance. While the families of the missing engineers have consistently questioned the adequacy and independence of previous investigations and have raised concerns about the handling of the case, those allegations remain contested and have not been conclusively determined by a court of law. It is therefore imperative that the search for truth be driven by credible evidence, due process, forensic integrity, and institutional independence.
Five years without a conclusive resolution represents a troubling failure of accountability. Such prolonged uncertainty undermines public confidence in Nigeria’s criminal justice institutions and weakens citizens’ trust in the capacity of the State to protect those carrying out legitimate professional duties.
The disappearance of the engineers also raises broader concerns regarding the safety of consultants, engineers, civil servants, contractors, journalists, environmental defenders, and whistleblowers working on public projects. Nigeria cannot permit an environment where professionals performing lawful responsibilities become vulnerable to disappearance without effective accountability from public institutions.
FENRAD is particularly concerned that delays in investigations and prosecutions create the perception of institutional inertia and executive impunity. Justice delayed in cases involving suspected enforced disappearance or violent crime is justice denied—not only to victims and their families but also to society.
Call on the Federal Government
FENRAD respectfully calls upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to authorize an independent federal-level investigation into the disappearance of the five engineers. Such an investigation should be insulated from political influence and conducted by a multidisciplinary team comprising experienced investigators, forensic experts, digital analysts, and human rights specialists.
The Foundation further urges the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and other relevant security institutions to reopen and comprehensively review every aspect of the investigation, including all available forensic, digital, intelligence, and documentary evidence.
Call on the Government of Ebonyi State;
FENRAD calls upon the Government of Ebonyi State under the leadership of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to publish a comprehensive State Accountability Report on the disappearance of the five engineers.
Given that the incident occurred within Ebonyi State during the administration of former Governor David Nweze Umahi, now the Honourable Minister of Works, the people of Nigeria deserve a transparent account of every official action taken from November 2021 to date.
The Foundation urges the Ebonyi State Government to:
Publish a detailed report outlining every action taken by the State Government and its agencies concerning the disappearance of the engineers.
Disclose the extent of cooperation between the State Government and federal security agencies throughout the investigation.
Clarify the status of official records, security reports, communications, and administrative actions relating to the matter.
Constitute, in collaboration with relevant federal authorities, an independent fact-finding panel comprising respected jurists, forensic experts, representatives of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), COREN, the National Human Rights Commission, and credible civil society organisations.
Extend full cooperation to any renewed federal investigation and guarantee unrestricted access to all relevant records.
Executive Accountability and the Rule of Law
FENRAD respectfully states that former Governor David Nweze Umahi, as the Chief Executive of Ebonyi State at the time of the disappearance, bears an enduring constitutional and democratic responsibility to fully cooperate with every lawful effort aimed at establishing the truth surrounding the disappearance of the five engineers.
This appeal should not be interpreted as an attribution of criminal liability, which can only be determined through competent judicial and investigative processes. Rather, it reflects the universally accepted democratic principle that public office carries continuing obligations of transparency, accountability, and cooperation where serious human rights concerns arise.
No public office, past or present, should shield any individual from legitimate scrutiny where unresolved questions remain concerning events that occurred during their administration.
Equally, no individual should be presumed responsible without credible evidence and due process.
An independent investigation serves both the interests of victims and those against whom allegations have been made.
FENRAD further calls upon:
◻️The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to institute an independent human rights inquiry into the disappearance and the adequacy of the official response.
▫️The National Assembly, through its Committees on Human Rights, Justice, Police Affairs, and National Security, to conduct a public hearing into the matter as part of its constitutional oversight responsibilities.
▫️The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and civil society organisations to continue monitoring the case and advocating for justice
▫️The international development community, including institutions involved in governance, accountability, and infrastructure financing, to encourage transparency and respect for the rule of law in projects supported by public funds
📍Conclusion
The disappearance of the five NELAN engineers is no longer solely the concern of their immediate families. It has become a national test of Nigeria’s commitment to justice, institutional accountability, and the protection of human rights.
◻️Five years is too long for uncertainty. Five years is too long for grieving families to wait without answers. Five years is too long for the institutions of the State to leave unresolved questions hanging over an incident that continues to attract national attention.
▫️FENRAD therefore renews its demand for an independent federal investigation, a comprehensive Ebonyi State Accountability Report, and an uncompromising commitment to truth, transparency, and justice.
The families deserve answers.
The engineering profession deserves protection.
▫️The Nigerian people deserve accountability.
Justice requires truth. Democracy requires transparency. The rule of law demands nothing less.
📌Signed:
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD Nigeria)
