Vendor’s widow disowns family over N500m suit against Gbajabiamila

Mrs Josephine Okereke, wife of an Abuja newspaper vendor killed by a security detail attached to the speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday disassociated herself from the N500m compensation lawsuit.

Okereke told newsmen in Abuja that she was not privy to the N500m compensation requested by the family.

• Gbajabiamila’s security aide ‘shoots’ newspaper vendor
• Gbajabiamila visits Newspaper vendors, promises trust fund for family of slain vendor

On November 23, a letter signed by Mike Ozekhome, counsel to Okereke’s family, had demanded a N500m compensation from the speaker.

The letter also stated that failure to comply with the N500m demand within seven days would lead to legal action against the Speaker.

Mrs Okereke, however, said Gbajabiamila had since reached out to the family with a promise to take care of the children.

“Gbajabiamila carried my new born child when he came to our house and said he was not a speaker when he knew my husband.”

Okereke said what she needed at the moment was justice and not N500m, stressing that she would never be in support of the N500m compensation.

She said the speaker had done what was unexpected of someone in authority with a promise to take care of the children’s education and other needs.

“I was in my house when within 10 minutes, my father in-law came from Abia, he went out along with his other son and the next day, I heard that my husband’s people are demanding N500m as compensation.

“I was shocked and asked how will they be doing that and how will the speaker help the children again with such demand.

“All I want now is for the person that killed my husband to face justice; he was the bread winner of the family and he just secured a job with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

“But COVID-19 prevented him from assuming duty; it was the Minister, Dr Chris Ngige, that helped him secure the job; but since COVID-19 prevented him from starting, he went back to vendor (work) so as to eke out a living,” she said.

NAN recalls that Ifeanyi Okereke, the vendor was shot in the head on Nov. 19, by a security detail attached to Gbajabiamila when the speaker’s convoy passed through the Federal Secretariat.(NAN)