A commission-sharing dispute over N8,000 between two “market hustlers” in Mandillas market, Lagos, ended in a fatal stabbing, though police and traders dismissed ethnic tension claims.
A quarrel over the sharing of N8,000 has led to the death of a trader, Sodiq Ibrahim, in the Mandillas area of Lagos Island.
Ibrahim was allegedly stabbed to death on Wednesday by his colleague, Ebuka Adindu, during a dispute over commission at the busy Balogun market.
The altercation briefly disrupted commercial activities as shops closed before business resumed on Thursday.
Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident, saying, “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.”
Findings revealed both men belonged to a group known as Oso Ahia or “market hustlers,” who earn commissions by bringing customers to traders. Witnesses said the fight broke out after a shop owner gave them N8,000 to share.
Traders dismissed claims of ethnic rivalry, stressing the clash was strictly about money. “It was the commission that caused the argument. Sadly, the Yoruba boy died from the wound,” one trader, Abiola Shittu, said.
This was the first violent incident reported in the market in recent years.