The Nigerian Senate has recommended payment of N200 million as compensation to the family of Ivan Onose Omhonrina, a two-year-old boy allegedly killed by a stray bullet shot by a personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Delta State.
The incident on July 13, 2023, which sparked widespread outrage and grief across Delta and beyond, occurred when NDLEA officers invaded a suspected drug hotspot in an attempt to arrest drug dealers.
A stray bullet allegedly fired by an operative of the NDLEA during the raid on a drug joint in Okpanam, Oshimili North local government area of Delta State however hit the victims and threw the family into mourning.
Delta North Senator, Ned Nwoko had brought the petition of the bereaved family before the Senate, and followed it up through all legislative channels until reaching the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen.
The report of the Committee was submitted to the Senate, following the committee’s investigation and deliberations.
During the plenary on Thursday, senators observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased toddler before adopting the recommendation of the Committee to mandate the NDLEA to pay N200 million as compensation to the family for the loss and trauma suffered.
LEADERSHIP recalls that in the course of their operation, bullets from an NDLEA official pierced through a nearby shop belonging to the mother of the children, hitting Ivan in the abdomen and injuring his younger brother, Eromonsele, in the eye.
Both children were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) for emergency surgery, but unfortunately, Ivan died.
The parents have long been crying for justice until Senator Nwoko took up the case.
