lvan Omhoria: Father slams Delta gov, NDLEA chair over ‘unfulfilled promises’

Godwin Udoh

The father of the two-year-old boy, lvan Omhoria, killed by the stray bullet form  operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has called on Governor Sheriff Oborevweri and the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to redeem their pledges to the family eight months and 13 days after the ugly incident.

 

 

 

 

 

It would be recall that the late Ivan Omhonria, just returned from school to his mother’s shop on Edoz Plaza, was hit by a stray bullet from the gun of an NDLEA operative during a raid on drug peddlers in the Okpanam area of Asaba on July 13, 2023, while his one-year-old, sibling Eromonsele, was shot on his left eye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The father, Mr. Fidelis Omhonria made the called, in Asaba, the Delta State capital while speaking to The Nigerian Xpress.

 

 

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Omhonria lamented the detonating rate of his son’s health, noting that the Delta State Government and the NDLEA who promised to take responsibility of the child treatment in abroad had not been forth-coming.

 

 

 

 

 

According to him, “Today make it eight months and 13 days the incident happened. I have buried my two-year-old son and the other boy, glass from the bullet affected his eye going through pane without attention as promised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The state government earlier said that they will take care the medical bills and asked me to list what I have spent which did.

 

 

 

 

 

“When the Chairman, NDLEA visited us on November 2,203, he promised to take responsibility of the medical bills and to fly the child to United States of America for treatment.

 

 

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“And said there was no need of court case and that they will fly the child for treatment. So, we buried the two-year-old boy on December 13, 2023, because the NDLEA has assured us to expedite visa for my son Eromonsele Omhonria treatment in US.

 

 

 

 

 

“I was the one that applied for the visa which the state government had written to US embassy that they will take up the responsibility.

 

 

 

 

 

“The state gave us a copy of the letter but till date, we have not heard anything from the state government. I was referred to the Commissioner for Health and I met him. He promised to get back to me but till date nothing was done.

“When NDLEA Chairman visited, he attached a Protocol Officer to us for the process of taking the child to US for treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We submitted all documents to the NDLEA Protocol Officer to process. Since then, they have been telling us one story or the other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The NDLEA later asked us to moved visa application from Abuja to Lagos US Embassy which we did but yet nothing happened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Because of their delay, January, 2024 one of our family members helped us to get a visa appointment on February 2, 2024. And only for NDLEA to called us on the February 1, around 8:30p.m. that our visa appointment was February 2, which we let them know that our family member has gotten the date for us but they said we should go and that, they will send letter across to the Embassy. I did.

 

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“We went for the interview and the US consulate asked who is founding the trip and we told them that it is NDLEA, they told us that there was no Federal Government, Delta State Government or NDLEA in their system and so, they denied us the visa and told us to reapply.

 

 

 

 

 

“After, I left the embassy, I told the NDLEA Chairman and he asked us to reapply as we were told and that the expenditure for the trip From Asaba-Abuja during the interview will be paid, which they did.

 

 

 

 

 

“Now, I have reapply again, spend much because of the dollar rate, the embassy had given us April 2,2025. My son health is deteriorating as a result of the delay for the treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ion to Mr. Fidelis Omhonria’s complaint, NDLEA Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Femi Babafemi, denied the allegations of neglect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the words of Mr. Babafemi, “That cannot be true because we have been in touch with the family to get their Visa, given them the assurance to pay for their trip, even their medical bills.

 

 

 

 

 

“Aside that we communicated to the US Embassy when we got winds that he was denied Visa again, and we opened conversation with the US Embassy to start the process to reactivate, and sought out things well for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Last time he came to Abuja, the agency catered for all his expenses, accommodation and others. We have also written to the embassy, listing their names and what they are going for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“So, we are doing what is expected from us, we indeed sympathize with the family, and we continue to encourage and support them”.

 

 

 

 

 

It would be recall that four months after the two-year-old Ivan was killed by stray bullets from an operative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Delta State Government and the Agency have disclosed plans to fly his sibling to the US for medical attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Governor Oborevwori said he had instructed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Kingsley Emu, to give a letter to the family to get US visas to enable further treatment of the child abroad.

 

 

 

 

 

At press time, efforts made to get the side of the state government was rebuffed as text messages sent to the Commissioner for Health was not replied, while calls to the mobile line were not answered.