Traders of Igbo extraction at the Ifo Market in Ogun State have shut down their businesses in protest following the brutal stabbing to death of a fellow trader, Blessing Eze (Mrs), a mother of two, IgbereTV reports.
The tragic incident occurred on Friday, June 6, 2025, when a group of touts allegedly enforcing an illegal levy for the Iléyà celebration attacked traders in the market. Each trader was reportedly forced to pay ₦1,500 as a “festival tax.” However, when they approached Mrs. Eze, she explained that she had not yet made any sales and pleaded with them to return later.
Instead of heeding her plea, the touts began destroying her goods. In an attempt to stop them, she confronted one of them, urging them to leave her wares untouched and promising to pay when she had the money. In response, one of the assailants stabbed her in the chest, leading to her death.
According to Spot on Media, in response to the killing, the Igbo Market Union in Ifo has declared a four-day mourning period, during which all Igbo traders will suspend business activities in protest. The traders are demanding justice for Mrs. Eze and an end to the constant harassment, intimidation, and violence they face from touts in the market.
A member of the market union shared his own ordeal, revealing that his wife was also stabbed last year by Waheed, the son of the market leader (Baba Loja). Despite reporting the incident to the police, he was pressured to drop the case due to the suspect’s alleged connections and violent reputation.
IgbereTV reports that the traders are calling on the Ogun State Government to intervene, ensure the perpetrators are prosecuted, and put an end to the forceful collection of illegal levies. They emphasized that such payments should be voluntary, not imposed through violence.
The protest also highlights the longstanding trade relations between Yoruba and Igbo traders, with many Yoruba women still traveling to markets like Onitsha to buy goods without facing similar threats.
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