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Confusion As Wife of Slain Vendor Disowns Petition Demanding N500m Compensation From Gbajabiamila

November 26, 2020

She insisted that her concern was in getting justice for her late husband by the relevant authorities to ensure the prosecution of the security operative, who killed him.

Wife of the slain Abuja vendor, Ifeanyi Okereke Elechi, has distanced herself from the petition written by legal practitioner, Chief Mike Ozhekome, on behalf of the family demanding N500m compensation from Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

She disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while addressing journalists on the matter.

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The mother of two said that she was not party or privy to the letter purportedly giving the Speaker a seven-day ultimatum to pay N500m compensation of face legal action.

Josephine described the amount as outrageous, adding that she was never consulted by the parents of her late husband before they made such demands.

She insisted that her concern was in getting justice for her late husband by the relevant authorities to ensure the prosecution of the security operative, who killed him.

She explained that she read about the petition in the national dailies and that she was not carried along on the matter, adding that the Speaker had previously visited and consoled her over the incident.

Also, the leadership of Abuja Newspapers Distributors Association and Newspapers Vendors Association Abuja, in a statement jointly signed by Benji Obute and Etim Iwara respectively, said they were neither consulted nor ordered anybody to write and send letter to the Speaker including their name.

The association said they cannot decide for deceased family what they wanted in place of their slain son but objected to the use of their name in the letter. 

In the said letter, Ozhekome asked the Speaker to protect vendors, that they had been afraid of going back to the streets to sell newspapers since after the incident.

The group therefore enjoined the family to tow the path of dialogue and resolve the issue amicably.

Gbajabiamila had ordered the registration of a trust fund to cater for the needs of the family of the deceased and also promised scholarship for his two children.

Recall that an operative of the Department of State Service, Abdullahi Hassan, attached to the convoy of the Speaker had last week Thursday shot dead the vendor near Federal Secretariat in Abuja.