Father of the two-year-old boy, Ivan Omhonria, who lost his life due to a stray bullet fired by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Okpanam, a suburb of Asaba, Delta State, Mr Fidelis Omhonria, has cried out over neglect.
The father has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevweri and the Chairman of NDLEA over the plight of his family.
Mr. Omhonria made the call on Tuesday March 26th 2024, in Asaba, the State capital.
Omhonria lamented the deteriorating state of his son’s health, noting that the State government and NDLEA who promised to take responsibility of the child’s treatment abroad was not forthcoming.
Hear him: “Today makes it eight months and 13 days the incident happened. I have buried my two years old son and the other boy, whose eye was affected by the shattered glasses from the bullet is going through pains without attention as promised.
“The state government earlier said that they will take care of the medical bills and asked me to list what I have spent, which I did.
“When the Chairman, NDLEA visited us on November 2nd, 203, he promised to take responsibility of the medical bills and to fly the child to the United States of America for treatment.
“And said there was no need of court case and that they will fly the child for treatment, so, we buried the two years old boy on December 13, 2023, because the NDLEA has assured us to expedite visa for my son Eromonsele Omhonria treatment in the 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, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, 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 move the visa application from Abuja to Lagos US embassy which we did but yet nothing happened.
“Because of their delay, one of my family members now helped us in January 2024 to get a visa appointment on February 2, 2024.
“And only for NDLEA to call us on February 1, around 8:30pm that our visa appointment was February 2nd.
“We let them know that one of our family member has gotten the date for us but they said we should go, that they will send letter across to the embassy.
“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 FG, 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, spent much because of the dollar rate, the embassy had given us April 2nd 2025. My son health is detariorating as a result of the delay for the treatment.
But in a swift reaction, NDLEA Media and Publicity Officer, Femi Babafemi denied allegations of neglect.
He said “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.
Oborevwori said he had instructed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), 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 message sent to the Commissioner for Health was not replied while called was not answered.
It would be recall that the late Ivan Omhonria, just returned from school to his mother’s shop on Edoz Plaza, was shot dead 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, while his one-year-old, sibling Eromonsele, was shot on his left eye.
[…] Source: thestoryng.com […]