Tension is rising in parts of Abia State as members of the building and construction industry have called on law enforcement authorities to immediately arrest a man posing as a “site engineer” over allegations of fraud, negligence, and unprofessional conduct.
According to the aggrieved builders, the individual—whose identity has not been formally disclosed—was contracted to oversee multiple building projects across Umuahia and Aba, but allegedly abandoned sites, mismanaged funds, and compromised structural standards, endangering lives and causing major losses to investors.
Speaking under the umbrella of the Abia State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), the builders said the self-proclaimed engineer had no verifiable professional certification and had deceived several clients with fake credentials.
Chairman of the NIOB in Abia, Engr. Uche Nwosu, while addressing journalists in Umuahia, described the incident as a “clear case of impersonation and public endangerment.”
“This so-called site engineer has duped unsuspecting clients, misled workers, and supervised substandard projects that have now been flagged as dangerous. We are urging the police and regulatory bodies to take swift action to arrest and investigate him,” Nwosu stated.
He warned that failure to act could encourage further infiltration of the profession by quacks, threatening the safety of buildings and lives.
Several victims also shared their experiences, accusing the suspect of taking payments and vanishing without completing projects or delivering substandard work.
The Abia State Police Command confirmed that a petition had been received and that an investigation is ongoing. Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Chinaka Emmanuel, assured the public that due process would be followed and any individual found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
Meanwhile, the NIOB reiterated its commitment to sanitizing the construction industry in the state, calling for stricter enforcement of professional regulations and prosecution of impostors.
