A Tug of war between two butchers over who will buy a cow leg from a customer at a slaughterhouse at the popular Abraka Market in Asaba, has resulted in the death of one of the butcher. He was stabbed by his colleague in a fit of anger.
The deceased butcher, Mr. Akin Sahid, 34, from Kwara State and a father of two met his untimely death yesterday when he went to buy cow meat at the abattoir in company of his bosom friend, Mr. Aladi Abiodun, also a native of Kwara State.
The two butchers sell at Ogbe-Ilo Market in downtown Asaba. As a result of the scarcity of beef at the nearby abattoir in Ogbe-Ilo, the two friends had set out at dawn to buy meat at the market, some few kilometers away.
According to an eyewitness account, the two friends suddenly fell out and started arguing over who between them will buy the cow leg, popularly called marching ground in Delta State. They were said to have engaged in a heated argument before kicking and pushing led to shoving.
Suddenly, Akin froze and fell to the floor with a thud, bleeding profusely. He had been stabbed with a dagger and bled profusely. The man died. It was gathered that the two butchers have been in the business for a long time without rancour according to their colleagues.
Sympathizers who trooped in large numbers to the late Akin’s shop at Ogbe-Osowe, cried bitterly over his death. One his customers, who simply identified himself as Mr. Lanco, cried bitterly, describing the deceased as a good meat seller, who gives his customers a fair deal.
He lamented: “I am still confused over the death of our brother. I don’t know what came over them. The two of them are brothers from Kwara State. Akin usually sells meat for me even though I don’t have money.”
The Delta State police spokesman, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, said the police have arrested the suspect and have also commenced investigations, while the body of the butcher has been deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.