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The bustling Ifo market in Ogun State has fallen silent today, as Igbo traders shut down their shops in protest over the tragic killing of one of their own.
Mrs Blessing Eze, a mother of two, was stabbed to death on Thursday, 6 June 2025, after a confrontation with touts (locally known as agboro) who were collecting compulsory levies from traders in celebration of the Eid Mubarak festival. Each trader was asked to pay ₦1,500 for the festival.
According to eyewitnesses, Mrs Eze explained to the touts that she had not sold anything yet and did not have the money at the time. She pleaded with them to return later and promised to pay once she had made sales. However, the touts allegedly began to destroy her goods, prompting Mrs Eze to grab one of them and ask him to arrange her wares properly instead of damaging them.
Tragically, one of the touts stabbed her in the chest during the scuffle. She collapsed and died from her injuries.
The Igbo Market Union at Ifo has since declared a four-day mourning period, shutting down all business activities in solidarity with the deceased and in protest against the continued harassment and intimidation by touts in the area. Traders say they have suffered physical attacks and threats from these groups for years.
One trader told our correspondent how his own wife was stabbed by the son of the market leader, Baba Loja Waheed, last year. When he reported the case to the police, he was warned to drop it for the sake of his safety, as the boy was known to be highly connected and dangerous.
The traders are calling on the Ogun State Government to urgently investigate this incident and bring those responsible to justice. They also want protection from forced festival levies and harassment.
“Festival money should be a matter of free will, not by force,” said one trader. “It’s sad that traders are treated this way. Let’s not forget that Yoruba women also travel to Onitsha to buy goods.”
As the community mourns Mrs Eze’s death, many are urging the government to act swiftly before more lives are lost to violence in the market.
