Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta on Saturday condemned the killing of a two-year-old boy, Ivan Omorhiakogbe, allegedly shot by operatives of 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.
According to the governor, it was reported 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.
The governor said the tragic incident was regrettable and avoidable if the officers had operated based on their rules of engagement.
He called on the NDLEA authorities and the Police Command in Delta to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the boy and injury to his brother, with a view to bringing the culprits to book and avoiding a future occurrence.
“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.
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.”