SLAIN ABUJA VENDOR: Family Demands N500m From Gbajabiamila ...... "We Are Not A Party To It, Says Vendors Association

"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”.... Ozekhome.

A 'modest' sum of #500m has been allegedly demanded from the Speaker, House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabamiala by the family of the slain newspaper vendor, Ifeanyichukwu Okereke, who was killed by a bullet from one of the security details, attached to the Speakers' convoy. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, according to trending news, has purportedly, been written a letter, wherein, several demands including the 'modest' sum of N500 million was demanded by the family, through its lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN.

This is according to a letter dated November 23, 2020, signed by the lawyer of the family, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

Ozekhome was given the mandate to write the letter by the father of the deceased, Okorie Okereke; and the younger brother to the deceased, Destiny Okereke.

The Department of State Services had last week arrested the operative, Abdullahi Hassan, who shot Okereke while Gbajabiamila had also visited the family of the deceased and promised to ensure that they do not suffer.

However, the family demanded more, adding that nothing could bring the dead vendor back to life.

The letter read in part, “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”.

The family also asked the Speaker to ensure that the safety of vendors is guaranteed as they had become afraid to return to the streets since the tragic incident.

The Okereke family said it would take legal action against Gbajabiamila if all the demands are not met within seven days.

“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”, the letter stated.

Meanwhile, the leaderships of Abuja Newspapers Distributors Association (ANDA) and Newspapers Vendors Association, Abuja (NVAA) has distanced itself from the purported demand of #500m, as compensation from the Honourable Speaker, Femi Gbajabamiala over the death of their colleague, Ifeanyichukwu Okereke. 

In a quick reaction to the said publication, both bodies issued a statement signed by their leaders, distancing themselves from the purported position and claims by the lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome.

Below is the extract:

"We read with dismay, a publication wherein the family of our slain member, Ifeanyi Okereke Elechi, through Chief Mike Okezohme (SAN), wrote the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, requesting for a N500m compensation for their son killed by a DSS Officer on Thursday, last week, within seven days or face litigation. 

In the said letter, Mr Mike asked the Speaker to protect Vendors, that they had been afraid of going back to the streets to vend newspapers since after the incident.

We wish to disown the letter in its entirety; we were neither consulted nor ordered anybody to write and send such letter to the Speaker on our behalf. 

In as much as we cannot decide for Ifeanyi's family what they want in place of their slain son, we strongly object to the use of our name in the letter. We are not at war with anybody or agency and not afraid of going to the streets. 

At our level, we are engaging the Rt Honourable Speaker and his team, and having fruitful discussions aimed at getting adequate compensation for the family. We do not encourage and support any aggressive approach since the Speaker has taken responsibility and doing everything within his powers to alleviate the pains of the family and all those associated with the slain Ifeanyi. 

We enjoin the family to tow the path of dialogue and have this issue resolved amicably as needless legal approach and media trial won't yield the needed fruit. 

Comr. Benji Obute          Comr. Etim Iwara 

(President, ANDA)          (Chairman, NVAA) 

24/11/2020