There was a pandemonium in Onitsha main market, Anambra State on Tuesday evening as a labourer suspected to be from the northern part of Nigeria stabbed a business man whose identity can’t be ascertained yet to death.
Our correspondent gathered that the Hausa man was contracted by the businessman to help him offload his goods in his warehouse that’s at the section of the market where they sell baking materials.
Trouble started when the man was suddenly seen in the pool of his own blood by his colleagues and the Hausa man was nowhere to be found. The development irked the young persons in the area and they quickly mobilized themselves in search of the perpetrator. This forced other northerners to seek refuge at the Army barrack and the Central Police Station (CPS) over fear of reprisal attack by the angry mob.
It’s not clear if the man was robbed but unconfirmed report suggests that the assaulter made away with the deceased money.
When contacted, the state police public relations officer, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, said “its a case of murder which happened at Bright Street, inside main market around 4pm,” but said he can’t confirm the identity of the culprit, which he said is immaterial.
“Murder is murder, whoever that commits it will answer for it. I don’t have any information about the identity of the suspect but we will ensure that whoever that’s responsible is arrested and made to face the full wrath of law.
The police spokesman said when their men got the report, they quickly mobilised men to the scene and discovered the man in the pool of his own blood. “He was rushed to the hospital where the doctors on duty confirmed him dead.
“Preliminary investigation shows that its a murder case and some persons have been fingered and we’re currently on their track to unmask and arrest them.”
On weather the victim was robbed after the attack, Ikenga said the information available to them suggests that it wasn’t a robbery incident because all the goods in warehouse were still intact, stressing that it’s a pure murder case and the circumstances surrounding the act must be unraveled.
