Gbajabiamila’s security aide reportedly shoots newspapers vendor dead in Abuja

A newspaper vendor in Abuja, Ifeanyi Okereke was shot dead by a police officer attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. (Punch) Okereke was shot dead hours after his wife gave birth to a baby on Thursday. A police officer attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila reportedly shot a newspapers vendor in the head on Thursday, November 19, 2020. The incident was said to have occurred at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, around 3 pm. According to Punch, the victim, whose name was given as Ifeanyi Okereke died shortly after he was rushed to the National Hospital by his brother and some police officers. The newspaper reports that the shooting incident happened when Okereke and other street vendors flocked around the convoy of the Speaker, who called them to give them money. Speaking in a telephone interview with Punch, the Chairman of the Newspapers Vendors Association in FCT, Etim Eteng , said Okereke, whose wife gave birth to a baby on Thursday morning died at the National Hospital shortly after he was shot. 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.” One of the vendors, Abdullahi Seidu said, the yet- to-be-identified security aide could not explain why he shot Okereke when Gbajabiamila confronted him

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila (Lawyard)

“ 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 in the head and he fell down. The officer who fired the gun said he wanted to fire in the air, ” Seidu said. Confirming the incident, Dr Tayo Haastrup , the spokesperson of the National Hospital said, Okereke died of gunshot injuries. Haastrup said, “ He died of gunshot injuries and would be moved from the Trauma Centre to the mortuary shortly.” However, the Speaker is yet to comment on the incident.