A quarrel over the sharing of ₦8,000 has ended in tragedy after a trader, Sodiq Ibrahim, was stabbed to death by his colleague, Ebuka Adindu, in the Mandillas area of Lagos Island on Wednesday.
The altercation, which briefly disrupted activities at the bustling Balogun market, began when a shop owner handed the pair money to split as commission for bringing in a customer. Both men were members of the Oso Ahia group—popularly known as “market hustlers”—who earn by directing buyers to shops.
Eyewitnesses said an argument over how to share the money quickly escalated into a violent clash. In the heat of the fight, Adindu stabbed Ibrahim, who bled to death. The suspect also injured himself on the shoulder and fell unconscious.
Confirming the incident, Lagos State Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin said:
“During the fight, one Ebuka Adindu from Abia State stabbed one Sodiq Ibrahim from Kogi State to death. The said Adindu in turn stabbed himself on the shoulder and became unconscious. He is currently under arrest in the hospital, where he is being treated. Investigation into the matter will be concluded, and he will be prosecuted after he has been discharged.”
Traders in the market stressed that the dispute was purely over money and not linked to ethnic rivalry, despite rumours circulating on social media.
Funmi Arewa, a shop owner, explained:
“It was just two hustlers who usually bring customers to shop owners for commission. Both of them brought the same customer, and the shop owner gave them ₦8,000 to share. That’s where the problem started.”
Other traders, including Moshood and Abiola Shittu, confirmed the account, insisting the fight had no ethnic undertone. Shops that were briefly closed on Thursday morning, they said, had shut only for the routine sanitation exercise, not out of fear of violence.
One trader, Chigozie, added that the deceased initially stabbed Adindu with a bottle before fleeing. Adindu, however, pursued him with a knife and retaliated fatally.
Market leaders described the incident as an isolated case, noting it was the first violent clash in years within the area. /Additional report by Punch