The Obidient Movement has called for fresh investigations into the disappearance and reported deaths of five engineers in Ebonyi State and the death of a medical aide attached to Minister of Works David Umahi.
The group also challenged Umahi to provide evidence for his alleged association of Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate who has since joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Communications, Onyeka Dike, the movement described the allegation against Obi as politically motivated and argued that support for a political candidate did not establish membership of a separatist organisation.
It cited statements reportedly issued by IPOB in July and August 2022 distancing the group from Obi’s presidential ambition and participation in Nigerian politics.
The movement urged Umahi to produce verifiable evidence to support his claim, noting that Obi had publicly condemned violence linked to sit-at-home orders in the South-East.
The group also revisited the case of five engineers working with NELAN Consulting Engineers who reportedly disappeared in November 2021 after a disagreement with Umahi, who was then governor of Ebonyi State.
According to the statement, Umahi later said the engineers had been killed, while their families continued to seek answers about their fate and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The movement called for a transparent investigation to establish what happened to the engineers. It did not, however, present new evidence linking Umahi to their disappearance or deaths.
It also demanded an update on the investigation into the death of Mary Habila, a 26-year-old member of Umahi’s medical team, who died at his residence in Ebonyi State on June 27, 2026.
The group said the police had announced an investigation and indicated that a post-mortem examination was necessary to determine the cause of death. It urged the authorities to inform the public about progress in the case.
The statement did not present evidence of wrongdoing by Umahi in connection with Habila’s death.
The movement further expressed concern about insecurity in the South-East, citing killings, threats and disruptions to businesses and community life.
It referred to an alleged attack on the Nigeria Democratic Congress House of Assembly candidate for Ezza South Constituency in Ebonyi State, Rollins Offia Nwali, and claimed that security operatives killed some of the attackers. The statement provided no further details to substantiate the claim.
The group urged public officials to address insecurity and respond to questions about their records rather than allow political disputes to distract from those responsibilities.
It said its demands were focused on accountability, citizens’ rights and security, and called on Umahi to substantiate his allegation against Obi while urging the relevant authorities to pursue the two death-related investigations transparently.
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