Father of 2 stabbed to death over cow leg

THERE was pandemonium on Wednesday at a popular abattoir in Abraka Market area of Asaba in Delta State Nigeria,  where a scuffle between two meat buyers  resulted in the alleged stabbing of one Akeem Saheed by one Alabi Abiodun.

Witnesses said an argument had ensued over the rightful buyer of a meaty part of a cow leg.

The victim, Akeem Saheed (34 years) who was a father of two was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead by medics, and his corpse was deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Medical Center (FMC).

Spokesman of the Nigeria Police, Delta State Command, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)  who confirmed the incident, told our correspondent that the suspect, 26-year-old Alabi Abiodun has been arrested by the police.

Explaining that the matter is still under investigation, Aniamaka said both the victim and the suspect hail from Kwara State South west Nigeria.

Trouble was said to have started when Saheed and Abiodun were haggling over who will buy the cow leg from one of their customers at the abattoir apparently due to the scarcity of meat at the slaughter.

According to eyewitnesses, the argument over who should buy the cow leg resulted in a fight between the duo which degenerated to the point where the suspect allegedly picked up a knife and stabbed the victim on the stomach.

Other buyers and sellers at the abattoir had scampered immediately after the stab but later beat a retreat when normalcy returned. They were said to have rushed the victim to the hospital where he was declared dead.

However, sympathisers who besieged the meat selling point of late Saheed at Ogbe-Osuwe wept bitterly over the tragic incident.

One of his numerous customers, Mr. Lanco described the late Saheed as a good meat seller who took cognizance of his customers.

“I am still confuse for his death. I don’t know what come over them, two of them are brothers, they came from the same place Kwara State. He usually cut meat for me even though I don’t have money

“They are selling meat together. Sometimes, the other boy will bring meat to his table to sell. And also go to market together but for today (Wednesday), I don’t know why they start fighting at the Abraka market to the extent of using dangerous weapons,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, three persons have been arrested at Umuseti community in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state in connection with the alleged murder of a herdsman, Haruna Mohammed on December 22, 2016 by suspected cattle rustlers who dumped his body in a fish pond.

DSP Aniamaka who confirmed the arrest said the breakthrough was made “after a sustained intelligence gathering” by a combined team of the police at Abbi division and men of the local vigilante team, adding that the case was under investigation.