Outrage as soldier allegedly knifes ticketer to death over N100

A ticket agent, Ibrahim Ikudaisi popularly known as Guardian, has been stabbed fatally by a soldier in a heated argument over N100 ticket at Oshodi area of Lagos metropolis.

The yet-to-be apprehended soldier had stabbed the ticketer while performing his lawful duty at a market in the commercial and transportation hub of the mega city, Persecondnews reports.

Ikudaisi was going from store to store to demand N100 levy from the traders when one of the traders refused to comply and in the process, an argument broke out.

It was gathered that while this was going on, a soldier “intervened” outside his line of duty to prevent the ticket agent from collecting the N100 levy from the trader.

“The argument degenerated into something else and in the process, the soldier brought out a knife and allegedly stabbed Ikudaisi in the chest,” according to a witness.

The witness, Adenike Ajayi, said the impact of the stabbing had made Ikudaisi to slump and immediately the soldier took to flight.

“Ikudaisi is a popular person in this part of Oshodi. Everybody knows him and his nickname is ‘Guardian’. He is the one that collects daily ticket levies from all of us that are traders here.

“He was here yesterday (Tuesday) around 11am and we had all collected our daily tickets from him when he got into an argument with a lady who refused to pay for the ticket.

“As they were arguing, a soldier came and tried to force Ikudaisi to not let the lady pay for the daily N100 ticket. Suddenly, it got to a point that the soldier brought out his knife and stabbed Ikudaisi in the chest,” she said.

“He was buried at his family compound in Lagos Island this morning. Army officers were around this place in the morning and they told us that they have arrested the soldier but we did not believe them because nobody was there to witness the arrest,” the witness also said.

Another trader, Mr Adeniji Olawole, efforts by people in the market to apprehend the soldier proved abortive, adding that security agents were fond of perpetrating such injustice against the people in the market.

“Although, I was not around when the argument between Ikudaisi and the soldier started, I saw him after he was stabbed and lying in a pool of blood. Many people came out to help him while some others pursued the soldier when he ran away.

“Unfortunately, he was not caught because he ran into the cantonment and soldiers prevented those who ran after him from getting to him.”

Also giving an account of the incident, a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official said when Ikudaisi was stabbed, some of his friends rushed him to a hospital while he was still gasping for breath.

When contacted, the spokesman for the State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said he was not aware of the incident.

“I will contact you as soon as any information concerning this matter is available to me.”