A tragic incident occurred during a raid on a notorious drug joint in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, carried out by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Two-year-old Ivan Omhonria was shot dead, while his younger sibling, Eromonsele, sustained injuries from stray bullets.
According to local sources, the victims were at their mother’s shop after school hours when they were struck by stray bullets. Eromonsele was grazed on the eye by a stray bullet, while Ivan was shot in the abdomen. The victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Asaba for surgery, but Ivan tragically did not survive.
The State Commandant of the NDLEA, Mr. John Tunde, confirmed the incident but denied that his men opened fire on the children. He explained that during the raid, a Toyota Camry was parked near the drug joint, and when the operatives surrounded the area, the vehicle attempted to escape and ran over one of their men. In an effort to stop the car, shots were fired at it, but it is unclear whether the children were inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting.
Tunde emphasized that his men did not open fire at any shops and expressed his commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. He acknowledged the tragedy and assured the public that the NDLEA would maintain professionalism during their operations.
The incident has sparked concerns about the safety of innocent civilians during law enforcement operations, and authorities are expected to conduct a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the tragic shooting.
