Almost two years have elapsed since NDLEA operatives in Delta State shot and killed two-year-old Ivan Omorhiakogbe and injured his one-year-old brother, Omorhiakogbe Eromonsele, yet the family has seen no justice. Reports indicate that on July 13, 2023, stray bullets from an NDLEA drug raid in Okpanam struck the siblings at their mother’s shop, resulting in Ivan’s death and a severe eye injury to Eromonsele.
On November 5, 2023—four months after the tragedy—the Delta State Government and NDLEA announced intentions to send Eromonsele to the United States for treatment. Yet, 21 months later, the child remains untreated, and no compensation has been provided for Ivan’s death. Senator Neda Imasuen, addressing the case before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, rejected the NDLEA’s N20 million compensation offer as insufficient. Speaking to journalists in Edo State, the Edo South Labour Party senator insisted the Senate would demand at least N100 million, potentially sourced from the NDLEA’s budget. “They admitted it was their gun and their mistake, but N20 million doesn’t match the loss of a child’s life and another’s sight,” Imasuen argued, lamenting the unknown potential snuffed out by the incident.
The family, through their lawyer Mathew Edaghede, is seeking N2 billion, with Edaghede telling the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions that one life was ended and another’s future marred. On the same day in November 2023, Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, hosting NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd.) during a condolence visit, confirmed plans for Eromonsele’s overseas treatment, including visa assistance. Marwa pledged to expedite travel arrangements, but as of now, these promises remain unfulfilled. Oborevwori emphasized the state’s continued fight against illegal drugs, noting the raid was intelligence-driven, and confirmed the government had covered medical expenses while praising the NDLEA’s investigation. Still, the family waits in vain for resolution.
