A 44-year-old butcher at Tudun Wada Market in Zaria, Kaduna State, Tanko Maitsiren-Safe, has stabbed himself to death.
Confirming the report, the Sarkin Fawan Tudun Wada, Malam Abdullahi Ibrahim, described the incident as pathetic and an outdated means of showing pride by ancient butchers.
Ibrahim advised other butchers to transform the trade, “especially now that most businesses in the country have been modernised”.
A police source in the area, who pleaded anonymity, also confirmed the incident in Zaria.
The source said the case was reported to the police on Jan. 15 and that policemen were immediately mobilised to the scene of the incident.
“On reaching the scene, they snapped the picture of the deceased and gathered some information from eye witnesses.
“After that, we ordered his relations to bury him,” said the source.
Similarly, an eye witness, Malam Yahuza Mohammed, said that the deceased and his boy were preparing “tsire” or “suya meat” (barbeque) when the boy slightly cut his hand with a knife.
He said: “on seeing what happened to his boy, the deceased collected the knife and proudly stabbed his lap thrice without any harm to his lap.
“He then opened his stomach and stabbed first and second without causing any injury to the stomach, but on stabbing the third time, the knife went dip into him thus flushing out his intestines forcefully,” he said.
The incident has dominated public discourse in Zaria City and its surrounding villages.