A 2-year-old boy identified as Ivan Onoseriegba, was struck by a stray bullet from operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Delta State Command while chasing suspected drug peddlers along Okpanam Road, Oshimili north local government area of the State.
It was gathered that the NDLEA personnel shot sporadically into the air on Thursday July 13th 2023, when the stray bullet hit Ivan who was with his younger brother in his mother’s shop on Edoz Plaza, close the Sweet Spirit hotel.
The younger brother, Erhumossele, was equally wounded in one of his eyes from the shattered glasses the stray bullet pierced through into the glass shop, Hillsi Cakes N More Academy, belonging to the mother.
The ugly incident occured between 2:00pm and 3:00pm when the children were picked from school by their father, Mr. Omorhiakogbe Fidelis, and kept in their mother’s shop.
The bullet pierced through his abdomen to the back, causing a big hole on the child’s body.
Both siblings were rushed to the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Asaba, for surgery where Ivan, died around midnight after doctors and nurses battled to save his life.
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the operatives, Mr. Fidelis, 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 that I can come and pick home, 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 toy compound, my wife called me, sweet heart please come.
“They don’t understand whether if it is bullet or anything, there is no gunshot within that environment. I then rushed back to the place, getting to the place, my wife called me that they are going to FMC, meet us there.
“It is like it is a gunshot because 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 was 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 can 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 sells 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 if the boys then said it was the gun that was shot that touched your son. That one have me the courage because they had already parked and trying to arrest some other boys while others ran away, the place was rowdy.
“That one gave me the courage to meet them and I was trying to take pictures and trying taking some videos. One of the boys came out and asked why I was videoing him, asking me if I am mad.
“He then cracked his gun, 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 Kled 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 is 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 is the most important thing to everybody right now and that he will send one or two persons with me. Immediately, I left for Asaba to come and see them and they told me that they are in the theater and they they were looking for blood.
“After one and a half hour, the people that the Commander sent, then came that their Oga sent them to come and 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 worker 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 as the father that the child could not make it that the intestines were and kidney were affected.
“The glass the gun penetrated splashed on his eye and body but they said he has a cut. They took him to the theater yesterday at about 2:00am and they came out 6:00am this morning trying to ensure that the cut and wounds are treated”.
While disclosing that he has incidented 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 his fate, we need justice.
“The one that died is supposed to graduate next tomorrow. They have given the graduation gown to him”, he lamented.
When journalists contacted the acting Public Relations Officer (PRO), of NDLEA, John Kennedy, he said he would reach back but at press time, he didn’t pick calls put across to his cellphone.
At the 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.
