By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A middle-aged man, Babangida Eluemuno, has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a trader at Onitsha main market to death at his residence, 9 Agba Street, Inland Town, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The deceased, Arinze Omeh, a teenager from Enugwu-Ezike community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, was allegedly stabbed to death following a brawl.

Narrating the story, Oluchukwu Omeh, Arinze’s brother, told journalists on Tuesday that trouble started when the suspect, a son to the landlord of the deceased, told him to stop using a broom meant for sweeping inside the house to sweep outside.

He said: “On that fateful day, I returned home with Arinze, my younger brother, from the market.

“As we sat down within the compound to rest and discuss our family matters, Babangida came out and warned my late brother to stop using the broom meant for sweeping the compound to sweep rooms.

“In a reply, Arinze told Babangida that he had heard him because he had already sounded this same warning to him earlier in the morning, for which he gripped my brother.

“It was in attempt to rescue Arinze from the grip of Babangida that he used a broken bottle and stabbed him on the left wrist and while he was still trying to control the blood, Babangida again reached for his broken-down tricycle and picked up a knife.”

Continuing, Oluchukwu said the response from the suspect angered his late brother who rushed towards his direction and landed a heavy slap on him.

According to him, he hired a tricycle immediately and rushed his late brother to the General Hospital but he was rejected by the hospital authorities over alleged complications.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Haruna Mohammed, said the incident was under investigation.

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