Outrage Greets Killing Of Vendor By Speaker’s Aide; Colleagues Contradict Speaker’s Story |The Source

By Akinwale Kasali

There is outrage over the killing of an Abuja Newspaper Vendor by a Policeman attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

This is as the Chairman of Vendors’ Association, FCT, Etim Eteng, contracdicted the Speaker’s account of how the Vendor, Ifeanyi Okereke, was killed.

Okereke was killed a few hours after his wife put to bed a new baby.

Gbajabiamila had, in a series of tweets said his   convoy was driving off after he had stopped to exchange greetings with the vendors, but that one of his security aides fired shots in the air to disperse a group of young men who were blocking the convoy.

But eye witnesses tell a different story.

They said that  as the convoy of the Speaker drove by, the late Okereke ran after the car, hailing the Speaker, before the trigger happy Aide, shot at him.

Okereke was said to be gasping for breath as his colleagues ran to him and tried to resuscitate him.

He was rushed to the National Hospital by his brother, colleagues and some Policemen before he gave up the ghost.

Said one one of the Vendors in tears, ” His wife just gave bjrth to a baby  a few hours ago, now, he has been shot dead.

The incident was said to have occurred at the around 3 pm.

Explaining what happened,  the Chairman of the Newspapers Vendors Association in FCT, Etim Eteng, said, “The speaker called to give vendors money and the security aide just shot him (Okereke) in the head. He was rushed to the National Hospital where he died some hours later.”

The Aide of the Speaker that carried out the dastardly act is yet to be known.

According to one of the Newspaper Vendors, “The vendors and other hawkers usually run after VIPs and lawmakers whenever they see them. In fact, they can identify the big men by their vehicles. So, the vendors flocked around the speaker’s convoy and he gave them some money but a gunshot just went off.

“The bullet hit Ifeanyi on the head, and he fell down. The officer who fired the gun said he wanted to fire in the air,” Seidu said.

Dr Tayo Haastrup, the spokesperson of the National Hospital confirmed that Okereke died of gunshot injuries.

Haastrup said, “He died of gunshot injuries and would be moved from the Trauma Centre to the mortuary shortly.”

He has since been deposited in the mortuary.

The condition of his wife who just put to bed is not known.