Abuja Newspaper Vendors Protest Killing Of Colleague By Gbajabiamila’s Aide

Following the alleged killing of its colleague by a security officer attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, the association of newspaper vendors in Abuja has resolved to stage a protest in the federal capital.

The newspaper vendors under the aegis of Abuja Newspapers Distributors Association (ANDA) issued a statement directing its members to assemble at Area 1, Abuja, for the demonstration on Friday.

 

ANDA’s President, Benji Obute, identified the slain newspaper vendor as one Ifeanyi Chukwu Elechi.

 

Obute said, “By this arrangement, papers won’t be shared tomorrow until 10am, all distributors and vendors are to converge at Area 1 as no paper will be allowed in the streets until after the protest.

 

“Media Houses are enjoined to cooperate with us and ensure that no single paper is leaked out as any paper that defaults will be sanctioned. We must join hands to get justice for the fallen vendor.

 

“As many as have cardboard papers, markers and other materials needed for the peaceful protest should kindly come with them to the distribution ground tomorrow morning,” he said.

 

Gbajabiamila, in the early hours of Friday, had confirmed that the bullet that hit Elechi was fired by one of his security details.

 

The Speaker claimed that he thought that the security aide “shot into the air” to disperse some unidentified people that crowded his convoy, not knowing that one of the vendors was hit by “a stray bullet”.

 

He tweeted, “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.

 

“Some hours later, after getting to our destination, it was brought to my attention that someone was hit by a stray bullet, 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,” Gbajabiamila said.