Wives of Kidnapped Ebonyi Engineers Protest in Abuja, Demand Government Action After Nearly Four Years

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Wives and relatives of five engineers abducted in November 2021 while working on the Abakaliki Ring Road project in Ebonyi State staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja on Monday, demanding answers on the fate of their husbands nearly four years later.

The missing engineers, Nelson Onyemeh, Ernest Edeani, Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Samuel Aneke, and Stanley Nwazulum, were employed by NELAN Construction Limited and reportedly kidnapped by gunmen while supervising the road project funded by the African Development Bank.

During the protest, the families carried placards urging federal authorities to intervene. Esther Aneke, wife of Samuel Aneke, recounted the ordeal, saying she had not seen her husband or his remains since he left for work while she was two months pregnant. “Please, I am asking for justice. Wherever my husband is, they should release him,” she pleaded.

Similarly, the mother of Stanley Nwazulum, the youngest of the kidnapped engineers, called for government transparency. “I want the government to tell me where my son is,” she said, noting the profound impact of his disappearance on the family.

Civil society organisations present at the protest also urged authorities to pursue the investigation diligently. Responding on behalf of the ministry, Ahmad Muhammad, Director of Human Resources, said the case is before the courts and falls under Ebonyi State jurisdiction. He encouraged the families to follow due process.

Despite this, the families insisted that the federal government should intervene given the public nature of the project and its international funding.

Security reports indicate 2021 was a peak year for kidnappings nationwide, with at least 2,944 abduction cases recorded in the first half of the year, highlighting the broader security challenges in the country.