Angry man stabs friend to death over N2500 debt owed him in Oko-Oba, Lagos

A man, Taiwo Badejo, has allegedly stabbed his friend, identified simply as Monday, to death over N2,500 debt in the Oko Oba area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Badejo and Monday were arguing over the money when the argument degenerated into a fight between them on Friday.

Communicating with our correspondent on Saturday, a resident, Tope Ajise, who lives on Egbatedo Street along the Old Oko Oba area where the incident took place, told our correspondent that people tried to pacify the duo but the matter was further escalated.

Ajise said, “It started just as arguments a night before Friday until we heard in the morning that he (Taiwo) had stabbed Monday. It was just because of N2,500.

“He borrowed the money from Monday, and the man came to ask for his money. That was how he picked a knife and stabbed him. The man could not make it, he bled till death. I know the suspect to be a twin, he bears the name, Taiwo.”

Another resident, who gave his name simply as Taofeek, said the culprit was one of the guys who sat around in the area and had no “serious source of income.”

“They just move around, tax people, eat and that’s all,” Taofeek said. “There are so many people like that in this area with no tangible source of income. So, when you hear of issues like this, you can first trace it to joblessness. You know an idle hand, they say, is the devil’s workshop,” he added.

Another resident who craved anonymity because he is close to the family of the deceased told PUNCH Metro that Taiwo was immediately arrested by security operatives of the Yoruba vigilante organisation, the Oodua People’s Congress.

The source said, “They were friends, it’s just unfortunate how things got that bad. The guy died early in the morning. The guy who stabbed him was picked up by members of the Oodua People’s Congress and was taken to the nearby police station. The Abattoir Police Station covers our area, so I believe that must be where he was taken to.”

When contacted on Saturday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident.

“The suspect’s name is Taiwo Badejo. He has been arrested. The case is now at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti,” the police spokesman told our correspondent in a chat.

Similar cases of suspected murder have taken place in Lagos and left residents in shock.

Last December, a man, Eboh Joshua, lost his life after his friend, Adeyeye Adedolapo, allegedly stabbed him in the Baruwa, Ipaja area of Lagos.

The incident occurred around 6:30 pm on a Friday, according to residents who also told PUNCH Metro the accused had spent the night at the deceased’s apartment before the incident took place.

A man identified simply as John also lost his life after his friend, Akinola Adeleye, allegedly stabbed him to death following an argument about who was to foot the bill for a plate of food eaten at a restaurant.

The incident happened in the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos.

It was gathered that the two men had a misunderstanding over who should pay for the plate of meal Akinola had eaten and in the course of the argument that degenerated into a fight, Akinola stabbed John to death with a knife.

The police, after arresting the suspect, arraigned him in a court.