Personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA have killed a two-year-old pre-Nursery school child returning from school during a raid in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
The child identified as Onose, died after stray bullet from operatives of agency hit him while they were chasing drug dealers on Thursday.
Sahara Reporters quoted an eyewitness who said: “The men of NDLEA were pursuing some boys who they said were into drugs and started shooting sporadically in the process. Little Onose, who was being picked up from school by his parents became a victim of this unfortunate incident.
“The stray bullet pierced through little Onose lower abdomen, he was then rushed to Federal Medical Centre, (FMC), Asaba where a team medical personnel commenced treatment and operations on him. He was taken for emergency surgery unfortunately, he didn’t make it; he died.
“The bullet also hit his younger brother in one of his eyes. Surgery has been done and he is stable to the glory of God. The most painful aspect of the incident is that by Tuesday next week, little Onose will be graduating from pre-nursery class before he was killed. As we talk his mother is being hospitalised at the FMC following the killing of her son.”
Speaking on the unfortunate incident, a Delta state based human rights activist, Israel Ojie, condemned the incident even as he accused men of the drugs agency of extortion.
“We call on the authorities of the said body to get into investigations and unravel circumstances that led to the death of this young boy and injury to his younger brother. I have contacted our Comrades in Asaba to meet up the parents right now at FMC where the younger brother is been treated and also make a report to the police for proper documentation.
The state commissioner of police, CP Wale Abass has ordered for the immediate transfer of the case from the GRA police station to the police headquarters.
