Family of dead newspaper vendor demands N500m compensation from Gbajabiamila

The family of Ifeanyichukwu Okereke, the newspaper vendor, who died from a gunshot fired by a security agent attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has demanded N500 million compensation from the speaker.

In a letter signed by their lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and dated November 23, 2020, the family also asked the speaker to ensure the safety of other vendors operating at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

Okereke died at the National Hospital last week after he was hit by a stray bullet during the speaker’s visit to the federal secretariat.

Gbajabiamila handed over the operative, Abdullahi Hassan, to the Department of State Services (DSS) last week.

READ ALSO: Gbajabiamila hands over killer security operative to DSS

The letter read: “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.

“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.”

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