Senate Faults NDLEA for Defying ₦200m Compensation Order Over Delta Shooting Tragedy
Summons agency over non-compliance as victim’s condition worsens
By Onwe Wisdom| Pan Afric Reporters
The Nigerian Senate has faulted the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for failing to comply with its resolution directing it to compensate the family of Onosereba Omhonria, the two-year-old boy killed during a botched NDLEA operation in Asaba, Delta State.
The Senate had also ordered the agency to take full responsibility for the medical treatment of Eromonsele, Onosereba’s younger brother, who lost his sight after being struck by a stray bullet during the same raid.
Despite the Senate’s July resolution mandating NDLEA to pay ₦200 million in compensation and cover all medical expenses for the injured boy, the agency has yet to act on the directive.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance, Senator Garba Maidoki, disclosed this on Thursday after meeting with the Omhonria family, describing the NDLEA’s silence as “unacceptable and insensitive.”
“We had a discussion with the parents, and they told us the NDLEA has not communicated with them,” Maidoki told journalists in Abuja. “The boy’s eye condition is deteriorating rapidly, and this is unacceptable. We have therefore summoned the NDLEA to appear before the Senate on October 28 to explain why nothing has been done.
Recall that on July 13, 2023, NDLEA operatives allegedly opened fire during a raid at Abacha Junction, Okpanam, near Asaba where a stray bullet killed two-year-old Onosereba and severely injured his brother, Eromonsele, who was later confirmed blind in one eye.
Following investigations, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions led by Senator Neda Imasuen (Edo South) — recommended ₦200 million compensation, describing the agency’s earlier offer of ₦25 million as “grossly inadequate and unjust.”
Senator Maidoki said his committee would brief the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to facilitate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention in enforcing compliance and ensuring justice for the family.
“The Senate will not tolerate disregard for legislative resolutions, especially when it concerns citizens’ lives and welfare,” Maidoki said.
“Even if NDLEA was not directly culpable, assisting the family should be part of its corporate social responsibility as a public agency.”
The case has drawn national attention and renewed debate over accountability in security-agency operations. Lawmakers and rights groups have urged the NDLEA to demonstrate empathy and respect for the rule of law by honouring the Senate’s resolution without delay.
Several senators, including Adams Oshiomhole, have previously condemned the killing, warning that law enforcement agencies must operate “within the bounds of professionalism and respect for human life.”
The NDLEA is expected to appear before the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance on October 28, 2025, to account for its inaction.
The Senate has vowed to pursue the matter until the family receives full compensation and the injured child gets adequate medical treatment.
“This is not just about money,” a committee source said. “It’s about justice, responsibility, and the credibility of our institutions.”
