The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has confirmed the killing of a newspaper vendor by a member of his security detail on Thursday.
The Speaker made the disclosure in a series of tweets on his Twitter account on Friday. According to Gbajabiamila, the victim was killed by a stray bullet meant to disperse a crowd of people when he stopped to exchange pleasantries with a group of vendors he had been patronizing since he moved to Abuja as a lawmaker.
“A horrible incident has taken place. This evening as I left the national assembly, I stopped, as usual, to exchange pleasantries with the newspaper vendors at the corner,” he explained.
“Many of them have known me since I first moved to Abuja and it was a friendly exchange. Unfortunately, after the convoy set out in continuation of movement, unidentified men obstructed the convoy which got the attention of security men in the convoy who shot into the air to disperse them.”
The Speaker stated he got wind of the information some hours after he arrived at his destination.
He said this was “contrary to an earlier report by men in the convoy that they applied their security discretion to shoot in the air.
“In the meantime; the officer who fired the fatal shot has been suspended from the convoy pending the conclusion of the investigation.”
While sending his condolences to the family of the deceased, the Speaker expressed distraught about the incident.
“For one of them (vendors) to have been shot by my security detail is horrific and I cannot begin to imagine the grief and loss Ifeanyi’s family must feel on this sad day. No family should have to go through this,” he added.
“I have caused a report to be made to the local police station and an investigation has commenced. My value for human life and my respect for all people – irrespective of social-economic status – is what endeared me to these vendors and these are the reasons why I stop my convoy quite often to connect with them.”
A horrible incident has taken place. This evening as I left the national assembly, I stopped as usual to exchange pleasantries with the newspaper vendors at the corner. Many of them have known me since I first moved to Abuja and it was a friendly exchange.
— Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) November 20, 2020
Unfortunately, after the convoy set out in continuation of movement, unidentified men obstructed the convoy which got the attention of security men in the convoy who shot into the air to disperse them.
— Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) November 20, 2020
I am personally distraught about this incident and my deepest sympathies go to the victim, his family and Abuja vendors.
— Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) November 20, 2020
For one of them to have been shot by my security detail is horrific and I cannot begin to imagine the grief and loss Ifeanyi’s family must feel on this sad day. No family should have to go through this.
— Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) November 20, 2020
My value for human life and my respect for all people – irrespective of social economic status – is what endeared me to these vendors and these are the reasons why I stop my convoy quite often to connect with them.
— Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) November 20, 2020
