The wives of five engineers employed by NELAN Construction Limited, who were kidnapped by armed men in November 2021, staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja on Monday. The protest highlighted their demand for answers regarding the whereabouts of their husbands, who went missing while supervising the Abakaliki Ring Road project in Ebonyi State. Nearly four years have passed since their abduction, prompting families and supporters to voice their frustration over the lack of accountability and action from the authorities.

The women, alongside several civil society organisations, expressed anger at the prolonged silence from the government institutions regarding the status and fate of the abducted engineers. Their husbands, identified as Nelson Onyemeh, Ernest Edeani, Ikechukwu Ejiofor, Samuel Aneke, and Stanley Nwazulum, were essential to a road project funded by the African Development Bank, designed to mitigate traffic and enhance connectivity in the state capital. The lack of resolutions in the case has left families in distress and uncertain about their loved ones.

This protest serves to bring public attention not only to the specific case of the missing engineers but also to ongoing security challenges and the culture of impunity surrounding abductions in Nigeria. It underscores the urgent need for government entities to take more decisive actions in addressing such crimes and providing support to the victims’ families. The demonstration symbolizes a broader struggle for justice and accountability amidst increasing incidents of abduction and insecurity in the region.