NDLEA Shooting: Three Years After 2-Year-Old Was Killed, Family Demands ₦200m Compensation, Medical Care for Brother

Three years after an incident involving personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) allegedly left their two-year-old son dead and his younger brother with a serious gunshot injury to the eye, the Omhonria family of Edo State says it is still waiting for justice, compensation and medical support.

The family, originally from Ubiaja in Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State but based in Asaba, Delta State, has been seeking redress since July 13, 2023, when the incident occurred around Okpanam Road in Asaba.

According to the family, NDLEA personnel who were carrying out an operation in the area opened fire, hitting their two young children.

Their two-year-old son, Onose Ivan Omhonria, died hours after sustaining the gunshot injury, while his younger brother, Eromonsele, survived after being shot in the eye.

Now four years old, Eromonsele, according to his father, has lost sight in the affected eye and continues to require medical attention.

The family says its struggle has been made more difficult by what it described as the slow response of the authorities, despite steps taken by the National Assembly to address the matter.

The family's lawyer, Matthew Edaghese, had petitioned the National Assembly over the incident, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the shooting and seeking intervention for the family.

The matter was subsequently considered by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions. The committee recommended ₦200 million in compensation and directed that the NDLEA should bear the cost of medical treatment for the surviving child, according to the family.

The family says the recommendation has, however, not translated into actual payment or sustained medical support three years after the incident.

For Fidelis Omhonria, the father of the two children, the passage of time has done little to ease the pain of losing one son while watching another struggle with the consequences of a gunshot injury.

He said his surviving son cannot see with the eye that was hit by the bullet but remains hopeful that appropriate medical treatment could still improve his condition.

Reflecting on the incident, Omhonria said the family had endured years of emotional trauma and financial hardship while pursuing justice and seeking treatment for their son.

“July 13th, 2026, made it exactly three years since NDLEA killed our two-year-old son, Onose Ivan Omhonria, and left our second son, Eromonsele Omhonria, badly injured in his eye, affecting his vision,” he said.

“Our family has gone through an extremely painful journey. Since that day, we have carried the pain of losing one child while fighting to save our surviving son. The emotional, physical, and financial challenges have been overwhelming.

“For the past three years, we have continued to hope that the government of Nigeria would do the needful. Sadly, we are still waiting for help that could restore our son’s sight. It has been back and forth on this case before the National Assembly for three years now. Till today, justice has not been served, and no funds have been released for Eromonsele’s surgeries and medical treatment.”

The father said the family had been left to bear the financial burden of caring for the surviving child, even as they continued to seek intervention from government authorities.

The family's account of the incident states that the shooting occurred as NDLEA personnel were operating in the vicinity of the family's business premises.

According to the family's petition, Omhonria confronted members of an NDLEA convoy comprising three vehicles, a Hilux van, a Sienna and a Honda car after allegedly observing sporadic gunfire in the area.

The petition claimed that when Omhonria sought an explanation from the officers, one of them threatened to shoot him and demanded his mobile phone.

The family further alleged that the officers subsequently left the area, while the two children were left injured.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting have remained a central part of the family's demand for accountability.

In its petition to the National Assembly, the family's legal representative called for a thorough investigation into the incident and urged lawmakers to ensure that those responsible were held accountable.

“We are by this petition calling on the Nigerian Senate to order a probe into this case and ensure that justice is served,” the family's lawyer stated.

“The killing of that beautiful, innocent soul of Onosereba and the brutal shooting in the eye of his younger brother, Eromonsele, must not be without consequence and recompense.”

The family's case was brought before the Senate through a petition sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, leading to consideration by the relevant Senate committee.

According to the family, the Senate committee subsequently recommended ₦200 million compensation and called for the NDLEA to take responsibility for the surviving child's medical treatment.

The family has also said that an appeal was made for the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in securing approval for the compensation recommendation.

However, the Omhonria family says that, despite the recommendations and interventions, it has yet to receive the financial compensation or the medical support it says is necessary to address Eromonsele's condition.

The family is now renewing its appeal to President Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Ede Dafinone, Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Compliance, urging them to revisit the matter and help ensure that the recommendations are implemented.

For the family, the issue is no longer only about compensation for the loss of a child. It is also about securing urgent medical care for a young boy who, they say, has lived with the consequences of the shooting since infancy.

Three years after the incident, the Omhonria family's story remains one of grief, unanswered questions and an ongoing search for relief.

One child is gone. The other, now four, is growing up with a serious injury to his eye, while his parents continue to hope that medical intervention can prevent a lifetime of disability.

The family says it does not want its ordeal to be forgotten or reduced to another unresolved petition.

It is asking the government to act on the recommendations already made, provide the promised compensation and ensure that Eromonsele receives the medical treatment he needs.

As the family waits, its appeal is simple: that the loss of their two-year-old son should not go without accountability and that the surviving child should be given every opportunity to regain his sight and live a normal life.

The Omhonria family's demand for justice now rests on the hope that the authorities will take decisive steps to resolve a case that, three years later, remains deeply painful for those at its centre.