There appears to be a disagreement between Josephine Okereke, the wife of the newspaper vendor shot and killed by a Department of State Services operatives attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and his in-laws, as the widow of the late vendor told Gbajabiamila to disregard her in-law’s demand for N500m compensation.
Josephine spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
The family of Ifeanyichukwu Okereke had written to Gbajabiamila, demanding N500m compensation for the death of their son.
Lawyer to the family, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), in a letter dated November 23, 2020, said he was given the mandate to write the letter by the father of the deceased, Okorie Okereke; and the younger brother to the deceased, Destiny Okereke.
But in a press conference by Josephine in Abuja on Thursday, the widow said she was not part of the decision to demand for N500m compensation and the pre-litigation process, urging the Speaker to ignore the family and fulfil his promise to her two children.
Recall that the Speaker, while on a condolence visit to the family of the slain vendor offered scholarship up to university level to the children of the deceased.
Also during his meeting with newspapers vendors association, he reiterated his promise, saying:
“Those children have now become my children. I have made commitments to the family to train them until they become adults. I have instructed the lawyers in my office to immediately set up a trust fund for them until adulthood. The incident has touched me in no small measure and in ways difficult for anyone to understand. I am a man of peace and not violence. Also, I have cancelled all my engagements, because I’m indeed mourning, and I can’t be mourning and be celebrating or attending joyous occasions or functions at the same time.’’
The DSS had last week arrested the operative, Abdullahi Hassan, who shot Okereke while Gbajabiamila had also visited the family of the deceased and promised to ensure that they do not suffer.
