TDMany Nigerians may have heard that five Enugu-based Engineers (all Igbo) who had issues with Dave Umahi when he was the governor of Ebonyi state went to work in Ebonyi sometime in 2021 and never returned home till date but only a few know the full gist.
Come with me as we dive into the detail of what has come to be known as the ‘NELAN FIVE’
Sometime in 2021, when the current Nigeria’s minister of works, Senator Engineer David Nweze Umahi, was the governor of Ebonyi state, it happened that the Umahi-led government felt the need to construct the Abakaliki Ring Road with loan from the African Development Bank (AFDB).
As is the case with many projects funded by the AfDB, part of the condition for the loan was that an independent consulting firm would be employed to supervise the project to ensure the construction followed the terms upon which the loan was agreed
NELAN CONSULTING LIMITED, an Enugu-based consulting engineering firm specializing in project supervision, consultancy, and oversight for infrastructure projects, was hired through international competitive bidding to monitor and supervise the main contractors, ensure compliance with contract terms, AfDB standards, and quality.
The firm detailed 5 of their best engineers on the project. They were:
- Engr. Nelson Onyemeh — Lead consultant/CEO of NELAN Consultants, from Ihiala, Anambra State.
- Engr. Ernest Edeani — From Nkanu, Enugu State.
- Engr. Ikechukwu Ejiofor — From Umunya, Anambra State.
- Engr. Samuel Aneke — From Nkanu, Enugu State.
- Engr. Stanley Nwazulum — From Amawbia, Anambra State.
In the course of their job, there was serious tensions between NELAN and the Umahi administration over project control and payments.
According to the families of the 5 engineers, the Umahi government allegedly wanted NELAN to “take a back seat” so the state could exercise direct control, issue payment certificates, and give instructions to contractors.
The then governor Umahi reportedly wanted NELAN to sign/approve certificates of satisfactory completion for work supervised or executed by other engineers/contractors — something NELAN refused, arguing it violated AfDB contract terms, their professional obligations, and risked the firm (and possibly the project) being blacklisted by the AfDB.
This disagreement created bad blood between the Umahi government and the NELAN Engineers.
On November 3, 2021, the 5 engineers left Enugu for Ebonyi state in an official Toyota Hilux with registration ERR 001 EB for site supervision but never came back till this very moment neither were their remains found till date.
The Umahi-led Government issued a statement describing the incident as an unfortunate abduction by unknown gunmen linked to the Effium/Ezza-Effium communal crisis going on in a part of the state then adding that upon receiving news of the disappearance, the state government mobilized security agencies for a search and rescue operation.
But in late November 2021, reportedly during a State Executive Council/Security Council meeting, Umahi publicly announced that the five engineers had been killed and buried in the bush by “Ezza warriors”, based on alleged confessions from arrested suspects.
It should be noted that the then governor Umahi made this statement while police and DSS investigations were still ongoing.
The families of the missing engineers described the statement as premature and shocking and insisted that the disappearance of the engineers was targeted and not a result of some random communal violence as alleged by the government.
They cite the “control of certifications and payments” dispute between the engineers and Umahi as being connected to the disappearance.
On their part, the Police and DSS launched investigations which led to the arrest of at least six suspects who were charged with kidnapping (and in some references, murder) in Charge No. HKW/7C/2022 at the Ebonyi State High Court in Ezzamgbo before Justice John Igboji.
Skeletal remains the security agencies believed to be those of the engineers were presented to the families, but an independent DNA tests funded by the families to verify the same skeletal remains came back negative for the engineers; one set reportedly belonged to a female even when all five victims were men.
This again, fueled the families’ suspicions that the disappearance of the engineers was masterminded by some person(s) and that even those claiming to be investigating may be trying to cover up the real truth.
To add to the families’ suspicion, a notorious kidnapper known as “Small” with a phone number – 08088985480 – allegedly first contacted the families shortly after the disappearance, claiming one engineer was in an accident and demanding ₦50,000 for treatment.
Families paid in an attempt to trace him only for “Small” to end up reported killed (some account said by Anambra vigilantes in 2025 while some said he was killed earlier by his own people).
Determined to find out the truth, the families hired private trackers to do a phone tracking/triangulation on “Small” phone numbers (the result of which was reportedly reviewed by some investigators)/.
The result allegedly showed “Small” communicating repeatedly with individuals linked to the road project, including one Barrister Chioma Nweze who was then a close adviser to Umahi and involved in the Ring Road project (now Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Community Engagement, South-East), and Felix Otta (project coordinator).
Families believe that these links suggest the disappearance of the engineers was carefully planned and executed by powerful highly placed persons, and not some random community violence.
Chioma Nweze strongly denied communicating with any attackers.
The families equally alleged that a Key DSS investigator (Victor Chijioke Onyesom) was allegedly removed/sacked at a critical stage of the investigation without proper process or replacement.
They queried why the security agents rushed to file charges without producing bodies or concluding investigations.
On November 29, 2021, at a project progress review meeting, one Engr. S. Sowomi allegedly represented NELAN while the five-man management team was missing. This, the families deemed outrageous.
Since November 2021 till date, the five wives of the five engineers — Patricia Onyemeh, Lovette Edeani, Ifeoma Ejiofor, Esther Aneke, and Mrs. Nwazulum — have been vocal and consistent in demanding answers from Dave Umahi and the relevant authorities.
They insisted the engineers traveled for a legitimate official assignment/meeting connected to the project and were targeted because of NELAN’s resistance to Umahi’s alleged attempts to bypass proper supervision and control payments/certificates against AfDB rules.
They rejected the “general communal clash” narrative as a cover-up, calling it “outrageous, misconceived, misrepresented, and flawed,” while maintaining there is a coordinated cover-up, including impersonation at meetings, interference in investigations, rushed prosecutions to shield real culprits, and threats (including from an undisclosed “ghost client”) after petitioning authorities.
They have been consistent in asking: if the killers were arrested and confessed, where then are the bodies? Why charge the suspects for murder without bodies?
They have submitted petitions to President Tinubu, Senate President Akpabio, Speaker Abbas, NHRC, relevant security agencies, and state governments (Anambra and Enugu).
On March 16, 2026, they protested at the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja (moved from National Assembly grounds), demanding justice, bodies, and accountability from Umahi.
Two months after, in May 2026, they issued a strong public rejoinder accusing Umahi of cover-up and demanding fresh probe.
July 2026, through their lead counsel (including Femi Falana SAN in some actions), they obtained the Certified True Copy (CTC) of court proceedings in Charge HKW/7C/2022 and petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and others for independent review, citing irregularities.
On the Court Proceedings and Current status of the case:
In Charge No. HKW/7C/2022, six defendants were arraigned for kidnapping while applications to strike out names were filed early on.
In May 2025, the court noted that three applicants “enjoying the amnesty of the Ebonyi State Government” were admitted to bail on self-recognisance.
The case has seen repeated absences of defendants and counsel.
On one occasion, the judge openly expressed frustration, noting the prosecution had informed the court about amnesty and that defendants would “do the needful,” only for them to stay away.
The judge then ordered a senior state counsel to appear and explain.
In summary, the case remains stalled for now while the families continue to demand for a fresh independent federal level investigation.
