By Moses Okorie
Abdullahi Hassan, a security officer attached to Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has been named as the person who shot and killed a newspaper vendor, Ifeanyi Okereke, on Thursday, November 19, 2020.
This revelation was made by the Speaker himself on Friday, where he stated that the said officer has been handed over to appropriate authorities for further investigation and necessary actions. He revealed in a statement.
Gbajabiamila’s statement read, “The unfortunate death of Mr Ifeanyi Okereke at the hands of one of my security aides has left me deeply shaken.
“Mr Okereke was a citizen going about his business, trying to make a living for himself and his family. There is no reason for his life to have ended the way it did.
“This morning, I have handed over the security operative, Abdullahi M. Hassan, to the Department of State Security (DSS) for investigation and appropriate administrative and judicial action. In the interim, he has been suspended from the convoy.
“l expect, and I will see to it that the family of Mr Ifeanyi Okereke receives the full measure of justice so that their bereavement is not compounded by any actions that can cause them further pain and suffering.
“I have expressed my personal condolence to his family and have arranged to meet with them when the parents of Mr Okereke, who are already on their way, arrive in Abuja.
“Additionally, I have committed to them that I will support his wife and the immediate family he has left behind”.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command has issued a statement debunking earlier report that it was a police officer that killed the vendor.