Missing Engineers: Ebonyi Government Must Do More, Says Intersociety

By Uche Mbah

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, INTERSOCIETY, Monday accused the Ebonyi State Government of not doing enough to trace missing Site Engineers in the State.

Recall that five Site Engineers in Effium, in the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the State got missing while on official duties.

The Engineers belong to a Consulting Engineering Firm, Nelan Consultants.

On November 3, 2021, they were deployed to a road project in the town to supervise the Abakiliki Ring Road project but inexplicably  went missing.

In a statement signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman of Intersociety, and three other executives, the non-governmental organisation noted that 90 days have elapsed since the disappearance of the engineers but there appears to be no headway in the investigations .

The statement was titled: “Police, Government Of Ebonyi Dangerously Covering Up Abduction And Disappearance Of Five NELAN Engineers.”

The statement read in part:

“The present Government of Ebonyi State has been responsible for continued abduction and disappearance of the five NELAN Field Engineers since 3rd November 2021 at the construction site of the AfDB funded $150m Ebonyi Ring Road Phase 2 Project located at Effium in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

“Their high profile abduction and disappearance have lasted for almost three months or ninety days-with nothing concrete coming out of same. While the authorities of the Nigeria Police Force have continued to chase shadows including wastage of public funds and dissipation of much energy on irrelevancies and frivolities, the Government of Ebonyi State is busy dictatorially distracting the public and diverting their attention and has appeared to be exploiting possible loopholes to escape complicity in furtherance of clear abdication of its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.

“This is to the extent that the reaction of the State Government issued on 21st Dec 2021 was filled with contradictions and self indictments and failed to address the main issues till date.”

Demanding for a proper investigation, the release added, “The Investigative Findings under demand must include the whereabouts or locations of the abducted and disappeared Engineers, whether they are still alive or killed in captivity by their abductors/captors, why they were abducted and disappeared, who and who was responsible for abducting and disappearing them, the whereabouts or locations of their abductees or slayers (whether in custody or facing investigation/prosecution or still at large), who procured them to perpetrate the dastardly act (state actors or troublesome non-state actors?) and who and who has been aiding and abetting their heinous act. Such investigative findings or their highlights must be weekly made public by the DIG-FCID, joined by the CP of Ebonyi State Police Command and ACP/DCP in charge of the State CID.

“The Ebonyi State Government and the present leadership of the Nigeria Police Force are strongly reminded that crimes have no expiring dates to be investigated and prosecuted and not even the ‘immunity of office’ can stop same.”