FENRAD renews call for justice as five NELAN engineers remain missing five years on

Nkem Ukaegbu, Umuahia

Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD Nigeria) has renewed its call for an independent federal investigation into the disappearance of five engineers attached to NELAN Consulting Limited, describing the unresolved case as a major test of Nigeria’s commitment to justice, accountability and the rule of law.

In a statement issued on Monday by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, the human rights and public accountability organisation lamented that five years after the engineers reportedly disappeared while on official duty in Ebonyi State, their whereabouts remain unknown despite previous investigations and criminal proceedings involving certain suspects.

The missing engineers, Engr. Nelson Onyemeh, Engr. Ernest Edeani, Engr. Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Engr. Samuel Aneke and Engr. Stanley Nwazulum was said to have left Enugu State on November 3, 2021, to supervise the Abakaliki Ring Road Project, but never returned.

According to FENRAD, the incident remains one of Nigeria’s most disturbing unresolved cases involving professionals engaged in public infrastructure development.

The organisation noted that for five years, the families, colleagues and the Nigerian public have continued to wait for answers regarding the fate of the engineers, while their wives and children have endured prolonged uncertainty.

FENRAD described the matter as more than a criminal investigation, insisting that it represents a serious human rights concern requiring urgent and transparent action.

It stated that every Nigerian is guaranteed the constitutional rights to life, dignity, personal liberty, security and access to justice under the 1999 Constitution, adding that Nigeria is also bound by international human rights obligations that require prompt, impartial and effective investigations into suspicious disappearances.

The rights group acknowledged that conflicting accounts have emerged over the years concerning the circumstances surrounding the disappearance. It noted that while the families have questioned the adequacy and independence of previous investigations, those allegations remain contested and have not been conclusively determined by any court of law.

FENRAD therefore stressed that any renewed investigation must be guided strictly by credible evidence, due process, forensic integrity and institutional independence.

It warned that the prolonged delay in resolving the matter has weakened public confidence in Nigeria’s criminal justice system and raised concerns about the safety of professionals working on public projects across the country.

According to the organisation, consultants, engineers, civil servants, contractors, journalists, environmental defenders, and whistleblowers should not be exposed to disappearance without effective institutional accountability.

The group further argued that delays in investigations and prosecutions create the perception of institutional inertia and executive impunity, maintaining that justice delayed in cases involving suspected enforced disappearance amounts to justice denied.

FENRAD called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to authorise an independent federal-level investigation into the disappearance of the engineers.

It is recommended that such an inquiry be conducted by a multidisciplinary team comprising experienced investigators, forensic experts, digital analysts and human rights specialists, insulated from political influence.

The organisation also urged 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 comprehensively review all available forensic, digital, intelligence and documentary evidence relating to the case.

Turning to the Ebonyi State Government, FENRAD called on Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to publish a comprehensive State Accountability Report detailing all official actions taken since the engineers disappeared in November 2021.

The organisation noted that the incident occurred during the administration of former Governor David Nweze Umahi, now Minister of Works, and said Nigerians deserve a transparent account of the actions taken by state authorities throughout the investigation.

Among its demands, FENRAD urged the Ebonyi State Government to disclose the extent of its cooperation with federal security agencies, clarify the status of official records and security reports connected to the matter, and collaborate with federal authorities to establish an independent fact-finding panel.

The proposed panel, it said, should include respected jurists, forensic experts, representatives of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and credible civil society organisations.

The group also urged the state government to grant investigators unrestricted access to all relevant records.

Addressing the role of former Governor Umahi, FENRAD maintained that, as the Chief Executive of Ebonyi State at the time of the incident, he bears a continuing constitutional and democratic responsibility to cooperate fully with all lawful efforts aimed at uncovering the truth.

However, the organisation clarified that its appeal should not be interpreted as an allegation of criminal liability, stressing that only competent investigative and judicial processes can determine responsibility.

Rather, it said the call reflects the democratic principle that public office carries enduring obligations of transparency, accountability and cooperation whenever serious human rights concerns arise.

FENRAD further appealed to the National Human Rights Commission to institute an independent human rights inquiry into both the disappearance and the adequacy of the official response.

It also urged the National Assembly, through its Committees on Human Rights, Justice, Police Affairs and National Security, to conduct a public hearing as part of its constitutional oversight responsibilities.

The organisation equally called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), COREN and civil society organisations to continue monitoring the case and advocating for justice.

It appealed to the international development community, particularly institutions supporting governance, accountability and infrastructure financing, to encourage transparency and adherence to the rule of law in publicly funded projects.

Concluding its statement, FENRAD said the disappearance of the five NELAN engineers has evolved beyond a family tragedy into a national test of Nigeria’s commitment to justice, institutional accountability and the protection of human rights.

The organisation insisted that five years is far too long for grieving families to wait without answers and renewed its demand for an independent federal investigation, a comprehensive Ebonyi State Accountability Report and an unwavering 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,” the statement concluded.