Family Of Murdered Newspaper Vendor Demand N500M Compensation From Gbajabiamila.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has been asked to pay a compensation fee of 500 million naira to the family of Ifeanyi Okereke, the newspaper vendor shot dead by his security aide last week.

In a letter dated November 23rd, the family’s lawyer Mike Ozekhome gave the speaker seven days to fulfil their demand or face legal action.

Mike Ozekhome stated that he has the mandate of the father of the deceased, Okorie Okereke, and his younger brother, Destiny Okereke, to make the demand.

Gbajabiamila had vowed after the incident that he would not let

the matter be swept under the carpet and promised to cater for the family of the deceased. He also identified the SSS personnel who fired the fatal shot as Abdullahi Hassan.

However despite the commitment made by the speaker to the family, Mr Ozekhome said if the demand of N500m amongst others was not met, he would institute legal action against the speaker.

Part of the letter addressed to the Speaker 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.”

“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.”