Abuja Newspaper vendors are protesting over the killing of their colleague by one of the security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Members of Abuja Newspaper Vendors Association have on Friday, November 20, protested the killing of one of their colleagues, Ifeanyi Okereke Elechi, who was shot by security operative attached to Femi Gbajabiamila.
The speaker in a statement confirmed on Friday, confirmed the incident while revealing that the officer involved has been suspended.
Chairman of the Association, Etim Iwara, revealed that the deceased gunned down by a trigger happy security aid.
Iwara and other vendors demand justice for their colleague while staying that distribution of newspapers to the public would be suspended till further notice.
One of the vendor, and witness to the shooting Emmanuel Onyebuchi, said he was present when the deceased was shot dead.
Onyebuchi revealed that the convoy of the Speaker stopped at the traffic light junction at Federal Secretariat Area and that Femi beckoned on him, Ifeanyi and others vendors to come.
They were given N9,000 after they answered immediately to the call from the speaker and were already rejoicing and praise-singing the gesture of the speaker while heading back to their selling point, when the operative alighted from one of the back up vehicles and directly shot the vendors.
Onyebuchi also revealed that the deceased’s wife gave birth weeks ago and that the baby’s naming ceremony was supposed to be today, Friday. Unfortunately Ifeanyi died shortly after he was rushed to the National Hospital.
“The late Elechi and I were greeting the Speaker, Gbajabiamila, even though the traffic light had passed him, but he parked and called us to come. Elechi and myself, we crossed to meet him and he gave us N9,000.
The DSS officer came down from the jeep, pulled his gun and shot Elechi while we were crossing the road to go back.
I turned back and followed the officer, shouting, you’ve killed my brother, the officer also shot again into the air. but the bullet missed me, because I quickly fell on the ground.”
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