Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has responded to a protest staged by families and sympathisers of engineers from NELAN Consulting Engineers who were killed during the violent communal clash between Effium and Ezza Effium communities in Ebonyi State.
The protest, held on Monday, brought renewed public attention to the tragic deaths and disappearance of the engineers, who were reportedly working in the troubled area at the height of the crisis. Demonstrators called for justice and expressed dissatisfaction over what they described as delays in achieving closure over the matter.
In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, the minister conveyed sympathy to the bereaved families while maintaining that the incident had been promptly investigated during his tenure as governor of Ebonyi State.
According to the statement, Umahi acknowledged the emotional pain experienced by the families and described the deaths as deeply tragic.
“First and foremost, the Minister acknowledges the deep pain that comes with the loss of loved ones. The death of the NELAN engineers remains a painful tragedy. No family deserves such grief, and the Honourable Minister understands the weight of that loss,” the statement read.
The minister’s office emphasised that the incident occurred on November 3, 2021, during one of the most volatile periods of the protracted communal conflict between Effium and Ezza Effium in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The statement clarified that the engineers were not specifically targeted but became victims of the broader violence that engulfed the area at the time.
“The unfortunate disappearance of the engineers occurred at the height of the violent Effium vs. Ezza Effium communal conflict, a crisis that consumed lives and properties and threw the area into severe insecurity,” Nwaze stated.
He further explained that the communal crisis had escalated into widespread violence, leading to numerous deaths, mass displacement of residents, destruction of homes, and near-total breakdown of law and order in the affected communities.
“The engineers were not singled out in isolation; they were victims of a wider conflict that tragically claimed many lives during that period,” the statement added.
The Effium–Ezza Effium conflict had drawn national concern at the time, as it disrupted economic and social activities while stretching security resources in the state.
The minister’s spokesperson disclosed that once news of the engineers’ disappearance reached Umahi, who was then serving as governor, he immediately mobilised security agencies to begin search and investigative operations.
“Immediately the information about the incident reached the then Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Umahi, CON, he swiftly mobilised security agencies and launched intensive search and investigative efforts to determine the whereabouts of the engineers and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Nwaze said.
