Anxiety in Onitsha market as labourer stabs businessman to death

There was a commotion on Tuesday evening in Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State after a labourer reportedly stabbed a businessman, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, to death.

It was gathered that the labourer, an Hausa man, was contracted by the businessman to help him offload goods in his warehouse located at the section of the market where they sell baking materials.

According to an eyewitness, trouble ensued when the man was suddenly found in the pool of his own blood by his colleagues, while the Hausa man was nowhere to be found.

Irked by the development, youths in the area quickly mobilised themselves in search of the perpetrator, forcing other northerners to seek refuge at the Army barrack and the Central Police Station (CPS) over fear of reprisal attack by the angry mob.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, said the incident “is a case of murder which happened at Bright Street, inside the main market, around 4pm”.

However, Tochukwu said he can’t confirm the identity of the culprit, which, according to him, is immaterial.

“Murder is murder, whoever commits it will answer for it. I don’t have any information about the identity of the suspect but will ensure that whoever’s responsible is arrested and made to face the full wrath of law,” he said.

Meanwhile, the spokesman said police had quickly mobilized men to the scene and discovered the man in the pool of his own blood and was rushed to the hospital where doctors on duty confirmed him dead.