The parents of a two-year-old boy, Ivan Omhonria, who was shot dead and killed with his brother, Eromonsele, shot in the eye by operatives of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, have demanded N2 billion compensation from the agency.
The two-year-old was reportedly killed by a stray bullet fired by NDLEA operatives during a raid in the Okpanam area of Asaba on July 13, 2023, while his brother was hit in the eye.
Father of the children, Fidelis, made this demand when he appeared with his wife and son before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions on Wednesday.
He expressed grief that the Agency had abandoned the family since the incident occurred over a year ago, lamenting that the health of the surviving son had been deteriorating without adequate treatment.
Fidelis also denied agreeing with the NDLEA for a N25 million compensation.
At the hearing, the NDLEA lawyer, Muniat Adeleye, told the committee that they had agreed on the sum, and N5 million had been sent to the family as the initial payment.
She said it would be paid in five tranches over five months and expressed surprise over the petition, telling the Agency did not expect it as the matter had been resolved.
However, when the committee asked for the agreement, Adeleye, the Assistant Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, said it had yet to be signed.
The panel found this unacceptable and demanded that the NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (rtd), appear before the committee at its next hearing.
The boys’ father denied such an agreement, saying the agency’s Chairman, Marwa, had sent him N5 million on a personal note sometime after the incident.
He said the Agency did not take responsibility to repay the family and that the surviving son was under serious threat.
Fidelis said, “I was shocked to hear an agreement just now. I’m not a party to any contract. Yes, within the period that this took place, the NDLEA chairman called me, and he told me he was very sorry for this incident that happened on the 13th of July, 2023 and that he was not in the country. But on his commitment to me, he’s sending the token to me.
“He didn’t mention any amount to me. He said he would send me money to care for my son. Two weeks later, we left the Eye Foundation in Lagos. Then, I received five million in my wife’s account, which I sent to him. That’s all. And so where did the agreement for 25 million come in?”
The family’s lawyer, Mathew Edaghese, said they wrote NDLEA, demanding the sum of N2 billion as compensation, but the agency never bothered to even respond to that demand.
“They ignored it with so much arrogance. Before this house, we want adequate compensation. A life was lost, cut short. Another destiny is someone’s being damaged because of the eye.
“He was just one year old when this incident happened. From then until now, they’ve been dealing with that. They are not prepared to do anything, even to remedy the physical damage done to this infant boy.
“It’s like they are playing games and gimmicks to dodge responsibility. We want this house to compel the NDLEA to be responsive and responsible enough as a corporate agency to do what is obtainable on the best international standard practice,” the lawyer said.
Chairman of the Committee, Mike Etaba, said Nigerians were interested in the matter and the whole world was watching the lawmakers and the parties involved, insisting that the NDLEA boss must appear in person next Tuesday when the matter will come up.
“The next day, this matter is going to be adjourned. The principal officer, your head, has to be on this committee. This matter is too severe for anybody to represent him. We also understand that you are a lawyer and have a right to represent your organisation. But the point we find ourselves in, and the kind of life-threatening events that we find ourselves in, is that we want the NDLEA head and boss to appear in person and explain to Nigerians.
“Since this incident, he has ensured that this family recovers from the trauma. And as we speak, you can see the child with one eye. Look at that child with one eye, and you are a mother. All of us are fathers. Nobody would be alive to see his or her child with this kind of condition.
“The money that was sent to him was just a token of help to make sure that he carried on with the little medication he needed to take. So let us not sit here and tell us and tell Nigerians that there was an agreement for NDLEA to pay this family 25 million. Nobody should hear it. It shouldn’t be heard anywhere,” he said.
