The Senate has requested the federal government to help the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) compensate the family of a two-year-old child who was murdered in Asaba, Delta, by a stray gunshot fired by NDLEA agents. This came after Neda Imasuen, the chairperson, presented the findings of the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conducts, and Public Petitions before plenary on Thursday.
According to his account, Mr. Imasuen said that the NDLEA had shot two of Fidelis Omhonria’s children, calling the situation “very pathetic.”
“Mr President, we have a two-year-old boy who was inadvertently shot and killed by NDLEA while they were carrying out some operations. The second younger child, Eromonsele Omhonria, had bullets in his eyes that have rendered that child almost blind,” he stated.
The senator added that legislators contacted the NDLEA to assist the family after an inquiry revealed the youngster needed surgery to rectify the victim’s eyes.
Imasuen said, “NDLEA, unfortunately, were not cooperating; they told us that they didn’t have the finances, and so they have not offered anything, even to the family for the two-year-old child that was killed and buried and for the child that is going blind. We had more than three sittings on this, and it became clear to us that NDLEA wasn’t going to oblige; they were not going to help us to help this family.
“Therefore, we recommended that, given the grievances of the incident to the family, NDLEA should pay the sum of ₦200 million to the family of Fidelis Omhonria as compensation for the death of his two-year-old son and his younger brother, who was shot in the eye and may result in him going blind,”
Based on the committee’s conclusions, Mr. Imasuen stated that he thinks the family should be shielded from such an organization in order to lessen the severe loss. He expressed gratitude to the legislators for the chance to examine the issue and assist the typical Nigerians who pursue justice in all areas of their lives. Garuba Maidoki (APC-Kebbi), who contributed, stated that he supports compensating the family for the unfair and illegal killings of Nigerians by security forces.
According to Benson Agada (PDP-Bayelsa), the official who committed the atrocity need to be held accountable and the family should get compensation.
The Senate spent a minute of silence for the child as members overwhelmingly supported the report. It asked NDLEA to cover all hospital expenses for the child’s several operations and eye therapy after he was shot.
Additionally, the Senate called on its Legislative Compliance Committee to keep an eye on the entire process, make sure that all resolutions on the subject are followed, and report back to plenary in two months.
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated that he had information indicating that the NDLEA official who carried out the shooting was being prosecuted.
