Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila’s security aide on Thursday allegedly shot a newspaper vendor in Abuja.
Information gathered disclosed that the incident occurred at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, around 3pm on Thursday.
The newspaper vendor who was identified as Ifeanyi Okereke was rushed to the National Hospital by his brother and some police officers, where he reportedly died.
According to Punch, Okereke was shot when he and other street vendors selling on the Shehu Shagari Way, Three Arms Zone, flocked around the convoy of the speaker who was reported to give out arms to people.
The Chairman of the Newspapers Vendors Association in FCT, Etim Eteng, while speaking on the incident noted that Okereke died at the National Hospital shortly after the incident.
He further stated that the wife of the deceased gave birth to a baby on Thursday morning.
“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,” he said on the telephone.
A vendor identified as Abdullahi Seidu, said the accused security aide could not give a reason for his action when confronted by Gbajabiamila.
Seidu said, “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.”
Dr Tayo Haastrup, the spokesman of the National Hospital, disclosed that Okereke died of gunshot injuries.
“He died of gunshot injuries and would be moved from the Trauma Centre to the mortuary shortly,” he said.
