Family of slain vendor demands N500m from Gbajabiamila

The family of Ifeanyi Okereke, the vendor killed by a security aide of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has demanded N500 million from the number four citizen.

Okereke was shot by Abdullahi Hassan, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative attached to the speaker last week.

According to The Punch, the demand was contained in a letter addressed to the Speaker by Mike Ozekhome, counsel to the family.

In the letter dated November 23, the Okereke family said the demand is not enough to replace their son.

“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,” Ozekhome said.

The lawyer said if the speaker fails to accede to their demand within seven days, they would take legal steps.

“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.

Gbajabiamila had said that he has handed over the aide to the DSS for discipline.

He has also visited the family of the deceased to condole with them.