Reps Wade Into NDLEA, Stray Bullet Victim’s Family Feud
By Juliet Vincent
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has waded into a feud between the family of two-year old Eromonsele Omhonria who was allegedly shot in the eye by personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Delta State.
The family has cried out that he has not received any treatment since the incident.
The elder brother of the victim, Ivan, was killed in the incident by the bullets of the NDLEA officers.
The NDLEA officers were said to be conducting a raid nearby on July 13, 2024 and the children were struck by stray bullets.
Ivan was two and Eromonsele was one at the time of the incident.Parents of the children on Tuesday when they appeared before the Committee said they had been abandoned by the Agency.
The House Committee entertained the matter which was brought to it by the family.
The family had petitioned the House of Representatives and the matter was heard for the second time on Tuesday.
Apart from the parents of the children, in attendance were their lawyer as well as representatives of the NDLEA.
The father, Fidelis, said the surviving sibling of the unfortunate incident has been abandoned by the Agency.
Addressing members of the House Committee, the lawyer of the family, Mathew Edaghese, said whenever the little boy cries, blood mixed with tears comes out from his eyes.
The family said following the incident, the hospital in Delta State referred them to an eye specialist hospital in Lagos, which further referred them to a hospital in the United States.
He said even the hospital recommended by the NDLEA recommended them to the same hospital outside the country but since then were abandoned by the Agency.
“In respect of the surviving child with this gunshot to the eye, effort has been made in his private capacity to get this child flown to where he was prescribed to at a hospital in the United States of America by the best medical-faceted eye on eye issues in Nigeria, Eye Foundation in Lagos.
“This recommendation was done within the first week of this incident. And they were aware of it. They did nothing about it. And the family had made several attempts to get visa. It was denied because it is not coming from the appropriate authority that caused the problem. One year and two months after, the child is still in pain. As of last week, a piece of glass dropped from his eye. If he cries as we speak, blood will be mixing with the tears.
“Over one year after, a situation that was recommended for emergency attention, NDLEA went to sleep and wants him to deteriorate beyond redemption. We want to plead with this body to facilitate the trip of this innocent child whose destiny is under a serious attack for treatment where he has been recommended for treatment overseas,” Edaghese said.
The family has in their petition demanded the sum of N2 billion from the NDLEA as compensation.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon Mike Etaba, said the surviving child must get immediate treatment but said the N2 billion demand was not feasible.
Etaba urged the NDLEA to accept that the matter be stepped down and settled between the family, the NDLEA and the committee on terms that would be accepted to all parties.
The committee chairman expressed displeasure that Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig- Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) did not show up for the hearing in person.
He invited Marwa and the parents of the children to meet with the committee in his office on Thursday, 24th October at 10am to resolve the issue.
Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, NDLEA, Theresa Asuquo, who represented Marwa, agreed to the terms.
Asuquo has told the committee that the matter was before the court and should not be entertained.
However, she was warned against misleading the committee as the matter in court was that of the State vs the erring officers, which does not stop the probe by the House.
