There was pandemonium on Thursday afternoon, in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, when a two-year old boy was reportedly hit and killed by a stray bullet allegedly fired by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The two-year-old, whose name was given as Ivan Onoseriegba, was hit by stray bullets allegedly from operatives of NDLEA while chasing some suspected drug peddlers along Okpanam Road, Oshimili North local Government Area of the state.
Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bright Edafe, made the disclosure in an audio message made available to journalists on Saturday. The Police Spokesman, said CP, Wale Abass, has already ordered a discreet investigation into the killing.
“The Command is aware of the incident that occurred on the 13th of July 2023. It is a sad one; it is a tragic incident and the Command is truly and indeed disturbed. Unfortunately, one of the kids who the stray bullet hit, gave up the ghost at the hospital. His age is two years and his name is Ivan Onosebarhe. The CP has directed that the matter be transferred to the State CID.
“As I speak with you, the matter is already being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Delta State Police Command. And all the parties involved will appear before the CP on Monday,” the PPRO disclosed.
Besides the killing of Ivan, his younger sister, Eromonsele, both of whom were in their mother’s shop after returning from school Thursday afternoon, has pellets brushing through her eyes.
They were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, where Ivan gave up the ghost and doctors still battling with the life of Eromonsele.
The father of the deceased, Fidelis Omhonriakogbe, had cried for justice for his slain son. He, while narrating his ordeal amid tears, said: “What really happened was that I went to my kids’ school to pick them, I then decided to drop them at the shop, the Plaza close to Sweet Spirit.
“That is where my wife’s shop is located so that I can go and meet up with other of my activities, so we can close for the day. So, going back to the house to pick up something, my house is just five minutes’ drive from the shop. Getting to my compound, my wife called me, sweet heart please come.
“They don’t understand whether if it was bullet or anything, there was no gunshot within that environment. I then rushed back to the place, getting to the place, my wife called me that they were going to FMC.
“My wife said she saw my boy’s intestines coming out even the glass that the bullet penetrated, affected my son’s eye. She held two of them and started shouting for help, that was when she then called me to meet them at FMC.
“As I was going to FMC, I said no, let me stop at the shop and know what was happening. When I got to the shop, I saw one Hilux Van, fully loaded with operatives of NDLEA with arms.
“I saw another Sienna, they went to turn so that they could go back to inside town not Okpanam town, I saw another Honda. The vehicles were all occupied by NDLEA Operatives. So, they then parked close to my wife’s shop.
“According to the people around, they said they were chasing those guys that sell drugs but the guys ran away but I don’t know how manage the bullet got to my wife’s shop.
“So, I was trying to ask some of my neighbours. My wife just told me that there’s a gunshot that hit my boy and his intestines are coming out.
“Then one of the boys then said it was the gun that was shot that touched your son. That one gave me the courage because they had already parked and trying to arrest some other boys while others ran away, the place was rowdy.
“I was trying to take pictures and take some videos. One of the boys came out and asked why I was videoing him, asking me if I am mad.
” I then told him that the gun you people shot has killed my son, and if you want to kill me, just kill me as I won’t leave to anywhere. Then, the guy then punched me, I then held his hand. Immediately they heard that their gunshot has killed my child, they immediately entered their cars and zoomed off.
“I jumped inside my car and followed them till we got to Issele-Azagba, they then stopped while I pulled over in one filling station and they came to me. I told them that the gun they shot killed my son, they said they know and they have called their Commander.
“They, said I should follow them to their head office in Ogwashi-Uku, getting to that place, their Oga, brought them out, talked to them before coming in.
“They started pleading with me and enquired about the condition of the child and I told him that I haven’t seen him as I decided to stay around the shop to know what happened. That was when I discovered that it could be these guys who were armed.
“The Oga then said that was true. According to their Oga, he said what they told him was that they were chasing someone or that they wanted to cross, then one bike or a vehicle hit the NDLEA guy, that was when the gun triggered.
He said, I should not worried and that I should go and see them first as that was the most important thing to everybody right now and that he would send one or two persons with me. Immediately, I left for Asaba to see them and they told me that they were in the theater and they were looking for blood.
“After one and a half hours, the people that the Commander sent, then came that their Oga sent came saying they wanted see the situation and I told them that they are trying to look for blood for him to survive.
“The blood they said we should donate is a fresh one and not the one they have in their blood bank. So, we were trying to look for among some of my friends that came around because I could not donate because I am B positive.
“So, we then got one of my wife’s workers that is O positive. That one then donated the blood. We were running around and they were doing X-ray and all of that. About 7:00pm to 1:00am, he then gave up and they called me that the child could not make it that the intestines and kidney were affected.”
While disclosing that he had documented the case at the police station, the wailing father said: “We need justice for our children. We need to take it up, it cannot just go like this. I don’t even know the condition of this one. I don’t know her fate, we need justice.”
At Ivan’s mother’s shop, multiple sources at the Plaza, said they were in their various shops when they saw NDLEA officers chasing suspected drug peddlers and shot sporadically into the air.
According to them, the bullet pierced through the glass, shattered it before hitting the innocent boy.
Another source at FMC, who pleaded anonymity, said they battled to save the life of the young boy but he couldn’t make it as he was wounded severely by the stray bullet.
Confirming the incident to newsmen, the state commandant of the NDLEA, John Tunde said his men did not open fire on the children, adding: “We can’t be that unprofessional to open fire on a shop.”
He said there was a Toyota Camry parked within the precincts when his men stormed the drug joint to raid and dislodge the place. He said that the Camry ran over one of the operatives while escaping.
Tunde said: “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, the 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,” adding that, he and the late Ivan’s father were together at the hospital the night Ivan passed.
