Femi Gbajabiamila, Aide kills Vendor and Family Demands N500m Compensation.
The news has been reported of the murder of a vendor who was revealed to have been shot by the security aide of the speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The name of the victim was Mr Ifeanyi Okereke, he met his untimely demise in the hands of the national speaker’s security personnel and many are now wondering and asking questions with regards to what led to such an horrible situation in the first place.
The incidence was said to have occurred last week as reported suggested. Okereke was shot by Abdullahi Hassan, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative attached to Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives,
Recently the family of the deceased made a request for a compensation of
N500 million from the speaker since it was obvious that their father son and brother, Mr Ifeanyi Okereke, met his untimely demise in the hands of a security attached to the speaker.
News sources the PUNCH, who reported the incidence, revealed that the demand was contained in a letter addressed to the speaker by Mike Ozekhome, counsel to the family. The letter which was dated November 23, also disclosed the feelings of the Okereke family who insisted that the demand though needed by the family at this point in time was however not enough and that no amount was ever going to be compensating enough to replace their son.
Excerpts from the letter stated thus; “Our clients have instructed us to make from your good self, the following modest demands: That you use your good offices to ensure the immediate prosecution of your security aide (Abdullahi Hassan), who went on a frolic of his own, clearly acted outside the purview of his duty and responsibility by shooting to death an innocent, harmless and armless citizen,” Ozekhome said.
“That you adequately compensate the Okereke family with a modest sum of N500m only.
“This monetary demand can never adequately replace or take the place of their son, husband, brother, and breadwinner’s life. But it will at least mitigate the obvious trauma and hardship the premature demise of their irreplaceable breadwinner has placed on them.”
The family’s legal representative Mr Mike Ozekhome however insisted that if this simple request by the family is not given a favourable and prompt attention by the speaker within the duration of seven days, then they would take legal steps and press all the available charges. In the lawyers words;
“Take note therefore that it is our clients’ firm instruction that in the event that you fail, refuse and/or neglect to accede to or proffer reasonable compensatory terms to our above modest demands within seven days from the date of this letter, we shall without any further correspondences from us, take appropriate legal steps to enforce our clients’ constitutional rights,” he said.
Meanwhile, the speaker Gbajabiamila disclosed that he has handed over the aide to the DSS for discipline, while also taking a step further to pay a condolence visit to the family of the deceased.
Gift Joseph Okpakorese
Staff Writer
