A 32-year-old man has died after a 29-year-old barber allegedly stabbed him in the neck during an argument in Dutse, Jigawa State. This has prompted a police intervention to prevent an angry crowd from attacking the hotel where the suspect reportedly worked.
The incident occurred at about 5.45pm on Thursday, October 29, in the Rafin Sanyi area of Dutse Local Government Area. The suspect, identified as Emmanuel Olatonok, allegedly attacked Ibrahim Shago, a resident of Karnaya town, with a knife.
The Jigawa State Police Command confirmed the arrest on Friday through its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Shiisu Lawan Adam. He said the suspect was reportedly under the influence of alcohol when the confrontation occurred.
“The suspect, a barber reportedly working at a popular hotel in Dutse, allegedly stabbed the victim in the neck with a knife following an argument,” Adam said.
Shago was rushed to a hospital immediately after the attack, but a medical doctor later confirmed his death. The police have not disclosed what triggered the disagreement or whether the two men knew each other before the incident.
The killing also threatened to spark a second confrontation. News of the stabbing drew angry youths to the scene, where some reportedly attempted to vandalise the hotel linked to the suspect.
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Police operatives from the Dutse Division intervened and dispersed the gathering before the situation escalated into further violence or destruction of property.
The swift response prevented the alleged killing from triggering an attack on a business establishment, which could have endangered other people and complicated the police investigation.
Olatonok is currently in police custody as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the stabbing. The command said he would be charged before a court after the investigation is concluded.
The allegation that the suspect was intoxicated has also featured in the police account, but the circumstances have yet to be fully established. Investigators will need to determine the sequence of events, the cause of the disagreement and the evidence linking the suspect to the fatal injury.
The case also raises concerns about how quickly personal disputes can turn deadly when weapons are introduced into confrontations. A disagreement that might otherwise have ended in separation or intervention can become fatal when a knife is used, particularly when the victim suffers an injury to a vulnerable part of the body.
Meanwhile, the police response to the gathering of angry youths highlights the danger of retaliatory attacks. Vandalising the hotel would not resolve the killing and could expose innocent workers, customers and property owners to harm.
The police have not announced a motive for the stabbing, and the suspect remains an accused person until the matter is determined by a court.
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