Fresh controversy has emerged over the unresolved disappearance of five consultants with NELAN Consulting Limited after one of their wives accused the Minister of Works, David Umahi, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force of covering up the circumstances surrounding the case.
The woman, whose husband was among the engineers who disappeared in Ebonyi State in November 2021, said the families have endured years of pain and uncertainty without any credible explanation regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones.
Speaking in an emotional interview, she called on Nigerians to demand accountability from the authorities, insisting that those responsible for investigating the matter have failed to establish what happened to the missing consultants.
According to her, the five engineers disappeared after travelling to Abakaliki for an official meeting convened by the Ebonyi State Government during Umahi’s tenure as governor.
She alleged that the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force have failed to carry out a transparent investigation and challenged both agencies to explain why the disappearance remains unresolved nearly five years later.
The woman also called on Umahi and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South East), Chioma Nweze, to explain what they know about the fate of the missing engineers.
“David Umahi, the DSS and the police should tell the families of the five NELAN engineers what happened to them. They are all involved in the cover-up,” she alleged.
She further claimed that her last interaction with Umahi occurred in 2021 after she repeatedly demanded answers over the disappearance of the engineers.
According to her, the former Ebonyi State governor threatened to institute legal action against her through his lawyers and allegedly told her he would never assist in the search for the missing engineers before blocking further communication with her.
The woman further alleged that both Umahi and Chioma Nweze should be questioned over what she described as unanswered questions surrounding the disappearance.
The latest allegations come as the families continue to seek justice over the fate of the consultants, whose whereabouts have remained unknown since November 2021.
Earlier, the families petitioned the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), alleging a conspiracy involving the Ebonyi State High Court, the police and influential individuals to suppress the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.
The petition, submitted through human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), was filed on behalf of the wives and relatives of the missing consultants—Engr. Nelson Onyemeh, Chief Executive Officer of NELAN Consulting Limited; Engr. Ernest Edeani; Engr. Ikechukwu Ejiofor; Engr. Samuel Aneke; and Engr. Stanley Nwazulum.
According to the petition, the engineers were appointed to supervise the African Development Bank (AfDB)-funded Ring Road Project in Ebonyi State and disappeared after attending a government meeting organised by the then Ebonyi State administration in Abakaliki.
The families further alleged that before the disappearance, Umahi was hostile towards NELAN Consulting Limited because the firm allegedly resisted pressure to compromise its professional responsibilities on the project. They also claimed that the firm’s lead consultant, Engr. Nelson Onyemeh, received repeated threats before the consultants disappeared.
The families have continued to call for an independent and transparent investigation into the case, insisting that the truth behind the disappearance of the five engineers must be uncovered.
As of the time of filing this report, the allegations remain unproven, and neither the Minister of Works, David Umahi, the DSS, the Nigeria Police Force nor Chioma Nweze has publicly responded to the latest claims. The disappearance of the five NELAN engineers remains unresolved.