Family members and human rights activists on Monday besieged the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja, demanding jstice for five engineers who mysteriously disappeared in 2021 while working on a project in Ebonyi State.
The Federal Ministry of Works in Mabushi, Abuja, was brought to a standstill on Monday, March 16, 2026, as grieving family members and human rights activists staged a massive protest. Dressed in black and brandishing placards, the demonstrators demanded a fresh investigation into the 2021 disappearance of five engineers—Nelson Onyemeh, Ernest Edeani, Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Samuel Aneke, and Stanley Nwazulum. The engineers, employees of Nelan Consultants, vanished on November 3, 2021, while supervising the African Development Bank-funded Abakaliki Ring Road project in Ebonyi State. The protesters targeted the current Minister of Works, David Umahi, who was the Governor of Ebonyi State at the time of the incident.
The families expressed deep frustration over the lack of closure, noting that while Umahi had previously announced during a 2021 state security meeting that the men were killed and buried by local “Ezza Warriors,” their remains have never been exhumed or returned. “Five years after their mysterious disappearance, there has been no clear investigation or closure on the matter,” the protesters lamented, insisting that the Minister must provide a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The demonstrators shut down the ministry’s main gate, forcing the Permanent Secretary to receive a formal protest letter before the group proceeded to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to further their plea for federal intervention.
Public interest in the “Nelan 5” case was reignited last week when wives of the victims petitioned President Bola Tinubu, requesting that Minister Umahi “step aside” to face questioning regarding alleged hostilities between his former administration and the consultancy firm. Allegations have surfaced suggesting the state government was unhappy with the firm’s refusal to alter project terms. While the Ministry has previously denied any complicity, the protesters maintained that the families deserve the dignity of a proper burial for their breadwinners. As the conflict broadens into a demand for accountability, the NHRC has promised to review the petition and engage the relevant security agencies to unravel the five-year-old mystery.
READ THE FULL STORY IN SAHARA REPORTERS
NEWS NOW:
- Nigeria summons Ivorian ambassador over death of Nigerian trader in Abidjan prison
- ‘Police told us frankly they couldn’t guarantee our safety,we lived in bushes’:Heartbreaking tales of SA returnees
- Ogun 2027: Yayi visits Obasanjo, Amosun for support
- My administration committed to expanding access to clean water in Enugu: Gov Mbah
