Members of Abuja Newspaper Vendors Association have on Friday protested the killing of one of their colleagues, Ifeanyi Okereke Elechi on Thursday by security operative attached to Femi Gbajabiamila, House of Representatives Speaker.
Elechi was fatally shot dead within Three Arms Zone in Abuja as the lawmaker’s convoy journeyed.
The Surulere representative in a statement confirmed on Friday morning confirmed the incident and expressed that the officer involved has been suspended.
Read Also: Gbajabiamila Confirms Death Of Newspaper Vendor Shot By His Security Aide, Suspends Officer (Video)
Chairman of the Association, Etim Iwara, who addressed the vendors, said the deceased member was gunned down by an over-zealous security aide to the Speaker.
Iwara vowed that the vendors will take every necessary action to get justice for their slain member, stating that distribution of newspapers to the public would be suspended till further notice.
An eyewitness and a vendor, Emmanuel Onyebuchi, expressed that he was with the deceased when he was shot.
Onyebuchi noted that the convoy of the Speaker stopped at the traffic light junction at Federal Secretariat Area and that Gbajabiamila beckoned on him, his deceased colleague and others to come.
He revealed that they swiftly responded to the call and got a cash gift of N9, 000 from the Speaker.
Onyebuchi explained that they were already rejoicing and praise-singing the gesture while heading back to their selling point, when the operative alighted from one of the back up vehicles and directly shot the vendors.
The eyewitness, who also revealed that the deceased, who had scheduled the naming ceremony of his new born baby for Friday, died shortly after he was rushed to the National Hospital.
Onyebuchi explained;
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.
He added;
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.
Elechi’s wife has a new born baby whose naming ceremony was supposed to be today (Friday).
The vendors are now demanding justice for the killing of their member.
Watch a video of their protest below;
Newspaper Vendors in Abuja conducting peaceful protest over the death of colleague, Ifeanyi Elechi. pic.twitter.com/jGsk4ruzkD
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See some photos from the protest below;
