By Charles Ogbu

Many 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, CON was the governor of Ebonyi state, it happened that the Umahi led govt felt the need to construct the Abakaliki Ring Road with loan from the African Development Bank (AFDB) and as is the case with many project 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 govt 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 govt 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 govt. 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) and 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 insist 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 reject 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, 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 on 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.

The Federal Government has suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination, pending wider consultations with stakeholders.

In a Monday statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, the ministry said the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, had been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review before any final decision is taken.

The ministry, in the release signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said the suspension followed concerns and feedback from members of the public.

“The Federal Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated 18 June 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken,” the statement said.

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According to the ministry, the proposed fee review was driven by rising costs associated with conducting national examinations, noting that registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite increasing operational expenses.

It cited higher costs of logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other services required to maintain the credibility of public examinations.

The statement said the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be put on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive and evidence-based policymaking.

“The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, has directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking,” it said.

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The ministry said the decision reflects its commitment to ensuring that policies affecting students and their families are carefully considered and responsive to public interest.

It added that consultations would be held with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners before any decision is reached.

Accordingly, the ministry said the proposed review of examination registration fees would not take effect as earlier communicated until the consultation process is concluded.

The Federal Ministry of Education reiterated that students’ welfare, equitable access to quality education and responsible policymaking remain central to the Federal Government’s education agenda and pledged to keep the public informed throughout the consultation process.

FG said it approved N50,000 as the new examination fee for WAEC and NECO for secondary school candidates from 2027.

The initial registration fee was N27,500, which means the new increment comes with an 82 per cent hike.

In a statement on June 18, 2026, issued by the Director of Senior Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education, Adeniji Ibrahim, the approval followed a request by WAEC for an upward review of the fee for the Senior School Certificate Examination for candidates from 2027.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the National Association of Nigerian Students had earlier kicked against the Federal Government’s approval of a uniform N50,000 fee for candidates.

The rescued principal of Community High School in Oriire Local Government Area, Mrs Rachael Alamu, has explained the reason why the kidnappers killed the teachers who were abducted in the state.

The teachers killed were a Mathematics teacher, Mr Michael Oyedokun, who was beheaded in the kidnappers’ den and Mr Esiyan Adegboye, 49, who was shot dead during the invasion.

Adegboye was buried in Ogbomoso on May 22.

Alamu made this known while speaking with newsmen on Monday.

The principal, the other rescued children and teachers were received by Governor Seyi Makinde at the State Government House.

She said, “There are times that we have hope that we will all come out alive. The terrorists killed Mr Michael, the first teacher, on the second day of our abduction and Deacon, the second teacher, was killed on the first Sunday of June.

“They killed them purposely because they thought it would force the hand of the government to provide them whatever they wanted. They already knew that the whole world was interested in our case. We have scars already, and we believe that God will heal us. We appreciate everyone that contributed to this success.”

Recounting their experience in captivity, the principal stressed that the victims spent most of the 56 days in the open forest, exposed to harsh weather conditions while trying to keep the children alive and emotionally stable.

“You can only imagine it. It was not easy. We were in the forest, in the open, most of the time, under the sun and under the rain, with the children. But we kept going because there was no way out.
“We knew it was only God that could help us, and we believed people were praying for us. That kept us going,” she said.

Alamu disclosed that although she was not physically assaulted, several of the younger pupils suffered severe beatings whenever they cried or made noise.

The rescued pupils and teachers were handed over to the Oyo state government by the Federal Government.

A video shared by Oyo Affairs showed the rescued victims alighting from a van under heavy security provided by military personnel upon their arrival at the secretariat.

The footage captured the victims stepping out of the vehicle as armed security operatives escorted them into the premises.

The arrival follows the Federal Government’s announcement on Friday that security agencies had successfully secured the release of all the abducted pupils and teachers after more than 50 days in captivity.

Before Monday’s handover, the rescued pupils and teachers had been receiving medical treatment and psychosocial support at the Military Hospital in Ibadan, where Governor Seyi Makinde visited them on Saturday.
(The PUNCH)