- A 56-year-old shoemaker identified as Anthony was found dead inside the Obudu Main Market in Cross River State on Sunday, August 23, 2026
- Community leaders shut down the market and demanded N300,000 from the man’s family for cleansing rites before trading could resume
- The Cross River State Police Command said it had launched an investigation to determine the full circumstances of the death
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Obudu, Cross River State – A shoemaker identified only as Anthony has killed himself inside the Obudu Main Market in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State in the early hours of Sunday, August 23, 2026.
The 56-year-old deceased man reportedly hailed from Bekwarra Local Government Area of the state.
Source: Facebook
The discovery triggered an immediate response from community leaders, who ordered the market closed and placed a condition on its reopening.
The community leaders demanded that the deceased’s family pay N300,000 to fund cleansing rites.
They argued that a death under such circumstances within the market was sacrilegious and could not go unaddressed.
Police open investigation into market death
As reported by Vanguard, the state police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said officers were deployed to the scene after the report came in.
“Police operatives visited the scene, documented the area, and recovered the body to the mortuary. The circumstances surrounding the death are yet to be established.”
Eitokpah added that the Command had ordered an immediate investigation to determine what led to the incident and to rule out any possibility of foul play.
“Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.”
No further details about Anthony’s personal circumstances or what may have led to the incident were immediately available.
The police did not confirm whether the market had since reopened or whether the family had met the community’s demands.
Pls, Note:
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please reach out to a crisis helpline. In Nigeria, contact the Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) via their support channels.
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Source: Legit.ng