The Office of the Honourable Minister of Works, David Umahi, has reacted to the protest staged by persons identified as family members and sympathizers of the late engineers of NELAN Consulting Engineers.
In a statement addressing the incident, the Minister expressed deep sympathy to the families of the victims, acknowledging the immense pain associated with losing loved ones under such tragic circumstances.
According to the statement, the death of the engineers remains a deeply painful episode, and no family deserves to endure such grief. The Minister noted that while serving as Governor of Ebonyi State at the time of the incident, he shared in the sorrow of the affected families and treated the matter with the seriousness it deserved.
For the sake of clarity and public record, the statement emphasized that the incident occurred on November 3, 2021, during the peak of the violent Effium–Ezza Effium communal conflict in Ohaukwu Local Government Area.
The crisis, which engulfed the area at the time, resulted in widespread insecurity, destruction of property, and the loss of many lives.
The statement noted that the NELAN engineers were not targeted in isolation but unfortunately became victims of the larger conflict that claimed numerous innocent lives.
Upon receiving information about the disappearance of the engineers, the then governor, Senator Umahi, reportedly mobilized security agencies and ordered immediate search and investigative operations to determine their whereabouts and bring those responsible to justice.
The Minister was said to have personally visited the incident site alongside security operatives and actively participated in the search efforts, demonstrating the seriousness with which the state government handled the situation.
The investigative efforts eventually led to the arrest of individuals suspected to have been involved in the crime.
According to the statement, those arrested reportedly confessed to committing the act and have remained in custody since then.
The matter is currently before the court, and legal proceedings are ongoing, even after Umahi left office as governor.
The Minister’s office stressed that the government under his leadership neither abandoned the case nor attempted to suppress it. Instead, swift investigative actions were taken, suspects were apprehended, and the matter was handed over to the judicial system for prosecution.
While expressing heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families, the Minister urged that public discussions on the tragedy should remain guided by facts and respect for the ongoing judicial process.
He reiterated his commitment to justice, truth, and the rule of law, while also praying for the repose of the souls of the departed engineers and strength for their grieving families.
