From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
On July 13, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) came for criminals and suspected peddlers of prohibited drugs in Okpanam area of the Delta State capital territory. Part of the built-up area was said to be a notorious drug joint.
The fully armed officers came in vehicles to dislodge the criminals. However, the operation ended tragically. It left in its trail the blood of a two-year-old pupil, Ivan Omhonria, who was hit by a stray bullet as he was enjoying a meal of corn and pear with his mother and two siblings.
The stray bullet apparently flew into the mother’s cake shop on the top floor of a storey building, as the anti-narcotics agents were chasing the fleeing suspects who successfully escaped.
Witnesses said the bullet hit the child in his stomach, pierced his schoolbag, shattered glasses and chairs in the shop, adding that its shell was only discovered in the shop’s interior.
The shards of broken glass affected Ivan’s younger sibling, Eronmonsele, in the eye, all happening in the presence of their bewildered mother and elder sibling who were a bit lucky.
Ivan’s intestines bulged out from the compartment. His mother raised the alarm. She called her husband, Fidelis, who had just dropped the kids at the shop from school. She headed for the hospital.
But Ivan, who had initiated the morning prayer that fateful July 13 before leaving for school, did not survive it. Eronmonsele had his left eye operated on at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba.
As expected, the parents are traumatised. Mr. Fidelis Omhonria, a native of Ubiaja in Edo State working as a sales representative in Asaba, narrated the ordeal to our correspondent.
He said: “At about 4pm on the fateful day, I brought them from school. I normally bring them back and they stay in my wife’s shop and after the daily business, we will all go home together. I also go out to do my daily routine.
“Less than seven minutes after I left the shop, my wife called me to come back, that she noticed that my son’s intestine was coming out, and that the other one had shards of glass all over him, that she does not know what happened.
“I wanted to turn back when she called me again that they were going to FMC, and that I should come and meet them there. I said let me first go to the shop and find out what was happening.
“When I got to the shop, I started asking people what happened and nobody was ready to open up until one guy came and said he saw NDLEA people around that they were chasing drug sellers.
“Then I noticed one Hilux van with NDLEA inscription, they were coming towards the shop, still looking for other people that were running. Then I saw another Sienna car with the doors open and NDLEA operatives inside, they were fully armed.
“I also saw another Honda car, they now drove to the shop in front. They were all armed. One guy came to me from behind and said that the NDLEA people shot my son. That gave me the mind to go and confront one of them. I was complaining to him but he did not listen.
“I brought out my phone and started recording but another officer came and cocked his gun, threatening me to hand over the phone. Then I said that they had already killed my son, there was nothing more they could do.
“So one of them in the Sienna came down to inquire what was happening. I told him that they had killed my son, the guy now gave his colleague a sign, they jumped into their vehicles and moved.
“Luckily, I had a car. I drove behind and I was recording them. I thought that they came from Benin. My mission was just to know where they were from, if they were really NDLEA officials.
“When we got to Issele-Asagba, they stopped and asked me why I was following them and I told them that the gun they fired killed my son. They were begging me, telling me that it was not intentional. They called their commander who instructed that I should come with them to the office.
“When we got to Ogwuashi-Uku, I saw that they were really NDLEA officials. The commander came and started begging and asked about the condition of my son. I told him that I was yet to see my family. So they asked me to go and that they would come to the hospital.
“I left there at about 6pm and got to Asaba FMC at about 7pm and met my wife. As soon as I came, my wife told me that they needed fresh blood, not the one from the bank because he is two years old.
“I decided to donate but they discovered that I cannot donate blood because I belong to ‘B’ positive group. They needed ‘O’ positive. One of my friends volunteered. It was about that time that the officers came. My friend donated and they told us to start preparing for more blood.
“They did not allow me into the theatre. It was around 11pm or 12am that the consultant called me to say that the damage was much, that my son could not make it.
“So, I said they should concentrate on Eromonsele. We took him into the theatre at about that 12 midnight. They came out from the theatre at about 6am. They tried to make sure that there were no particles of glass in the eye before they referred us to the eye clinic.
“That morning I went to make entry at the GRA police station, they did their investigation and transferred the case to the headquarters.”
Omhonria called on the authorities to ensure that he got justice.
Delta State police public relations officer, Bright Edafe, a deputy superintendent of police, confirmed that the matter was reported and that officers attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the command’s headquarters have commenced investigation on the orders of the commissioner of police, Mr. Wale Abass.
Delta State Commandant of the NDLEA, Mr. John Tunde, confirmed the incident. However, his narration was different from that of Mr. Omhonria, as he insisted that his men did not open fire on the kids when they stormed the drug joint.
Tunde said a Toyota Camry parked within the precincts ran over one of his men “while escaping. And in attempts to demobilise the car, our men shot at it.
“What we cannot tell now is whether the children were inside the car at the time of the shooting. Our men did not open fire at any shop.
“As we speak now, our man who the car ran over is at the Central Hospital in Ogwashi-Uku. Our attempt to stop the car was not successful as he escaped.
“So, I can confirm that it happened but it is the true account that I have told you, we can’t be that unprofessional to open fire on a shop. I was at the hospital in the night with the father of the child. We are investigating it.”
Meanwhile, there has been outrage since the shooting incident with the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, condemning the killing of the two-year-old child and urging the relevant authorities to carry out thorough investigation.
Oborevwori, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Festus Ahon, said the tragic incident was regrettable and avoidable, if the officers had operated based on the rules of engagement.
The statement read: “This incident is tragic, painful, and grievous because of the loss of a child and injury to his younger sibling.
“I condemn this unfortunate incident because, no matter the provocation, armed security men must operate within the ambits of standard procedure as enshrined in their rules of engagement.
“Any action taken outside these international best practices could be catastrophic as in this case.
“I, therefore, call on the NDLEA and police authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident and bring all the culprits to book.”
The Anioma Youth Forum Worldwide (AYF-W) also condemned it, saying that the unprofessional display on the part of the NDLEA led to the painful death of the minor.
National publicity secretary of the forum, Elvis Ekwukwo, stated that the wanton disregard for safety and professional best practices by certain operatives in Delta has become very alarming.
Urging law enforcement agents to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, the group added its voice to the call for thorough investigation into the shooting, and ensure that justice is served.
Former Minister of State for Education and 2023 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state, Kenneth Gbagi, who expressed shock at the death of the child, described the incident as “very painful and unfortunate.”
Gbagi, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Kenneth Orusi, expressed hope that police investigations into the circumstances leading to the death of Ivan would uncover the truth and lead to the prosecution of the culprits.
