By Emmanuel Okwara
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State on Saturday condemned the killing of a two-year-old boy, identified as Ivan Omorhiakogbe, who was allegedly shot by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The governor’s reaction is contained in a condolence message by his Chief Press Secretary, Festus Ahon, to the family of the deceased, Ivan Omorhiakogbe, in Asaba.
The governor who quoted reports that the young Omorhiakogbe was hit by a “stray bullet” during an operation by the NDLEA, Delta Command, at Okpanam area of the State capital, said the incident was tragic, regrettable and avoidable if the officers had operated based on their rules of engagement.
He called on the NDLEA high command and the Police in Delta State to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the boy and the injury to his brother, with a view to bringing the culprits to book and avoiding any future occurrences.
“On behalf of the government and people of Delta, I commiserate with the family of Fidelis Omorhiakogbe on the tragic death of their two-year-old son, Ivan, and injury to his younger sibling, Eromonsele.
“This incident is tragic, painful, and grievous because of the loss of a child and injury to his younger sibling.
“I condemn this unfortunate incident because no matter the provocation, armed security men must operate within the standard procedure as enshrined in their rules of engagement,” he said.
Governor Oborevwori added, “any action taken outside these international best practices could be catastrophic, as in this case.
“I, therefore, call on the NDLEA and police authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident and bring all the culprits to book,” he said.
