Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has confirmed the abduction and killing of road contractors and policemen working in the Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.
The five contractors in charge of the Ring Road Effium section were kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the area on November 3, 2021..
The victims identified as Nelson Onyemeh, Stanley Nwazulum, Ernest Edeani, IK Ejiofor and Samuel Aneke, were all Engineers working with Nelan Consultants, an Engineering Firm based in Enugu.
Police officers returning from investigation activities in connection with the abducted engineers were attacked by gunmen said to be Ezza warriors at Igbuduoke village in Effium/Ezza Clan in Ohaukwu on Sunday, November 28..
Police spokesperson, DSP Loveth Odah in a statement noted that two officers were abducted by the hoodlums while three police officers and the member representing Ohaukwu North in the State House of Assembly, Chinedu Awo, luckily escaped the area with different degrees of injuries.
Umahi disclosed the latest development on Tuesday, during a security meeting organised by the state’s founding fathers led by Chief Martin’s Elechi former Governor of Ebonyi, Christian Association of Nigeria among others.
According to the governor, the suspects arrested over the abducted engineers confessed that they have been killed and buried.
The Governor promised to approach the state House of Assembly for the way forward on the chairman of the council and the two house of assembly members from the area.
According to him, even though the perpetrators of the killings and destruction in the area are funded from outside, some stakeholders of the area within the state, also contribute to the funding of the warriors which has caused the crisis to linger.
The governor also sacked two development centre coordinators of Effium community and all the permanent secretaries from the area.