A disturbing incident occurred over the weekend at the Marian Market in the Calabar Municipality, where a young man was allegedly stabbed to death by his older sister during a dispute reportedly sparked by their mother.

According to eyewitnesses, mainly women traders, the confrontation began at the stall where the mother—known for selling fish in bulk—conducts her business. Her identity had not been confirmed as of the time of the report.

A trader who witnessed the incident said the suspect, believed to be about 23 years old, reacted violently after arriving at the stall and engaging in an argument with her brother, who appeared “dazed.” She explained that the deceased was known to struggle with drug addiction, allegedly using a dangerous cocktail of narcotics commonly referred to as “Ice” in Calabar.

The trader added that the mother and her son exchanged heated words before the sister arrived. Some traders claimed the mother had frequently complained that her son became violent whenever he was under the influence of drugs, alleging he had attempted to attack or even rape her on multiple occasions.

“One of the traders said the mother instructed her daughter to stab him,” a witness recounted. “Perhaps she didn’t think it would result in death. The boy started bleeding heavily and quickly became weak.”

Before assistance could reach him, the deceased’s condition deteriorated. Realising he might not survive, the mother and daughter reportedly tried to flee. Traders, however, restrained the mother, while the daughter—who allegedly carried out the stabbing—escaped the scene.

“We panicked that if they both fled, the police might suspect the traders,” another witness said.

The mother later confessed to other traders that she had ordered the attack because she feared for her life, claiming her son had repeatedly threatened or assaulted her while intoxicated.

A trader, Mr. Greg, said the group immediately contacted the police. Officers arrived promptly and took the mother into custody. “They made her carry her son’s body on her lap. It was drenched in his blood,” he recounted.

Efforts to reach DSP Igri Ewa, the deputy spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, were unsuccessful.