Ram fighter stabbed to death after losing bet

A ram fighter was yesterday stabbed to death after his ram lost a fight at Isawo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State. The ram owner, simply identified as Yusuf, was stabbed during a betting competition, where the sum of N4,000 was staked for his ram to win a horn fight with another ram.

According to an eyewitness, “Yusuf had taken his ram for a fight against another ram owned by one Tiny and they both bet N4,000. However, after Yusuf’s ram was seriously knocked out and he lost his money, he picked up a fight with Tiny, who stabbed him to death with a knife.”

The alleged killer, popularly called Tiny, was promptly arrested by detectives from Isawo police station and officers from the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps.

Over the years in Lagos, ram-fighting contests have become something of a seasonal mainstay in the days before the annual Sallah festival. In the 80s and 90s, it was a common sight to see young boys moving about Lagos neighbourhoods with rams during the Eid-el-Kabir festival.

The youngsters would gather at a random spot and watch their rams duke it out, butting heads and entertaining passers-by, especially in areas like Lagos Island, Oshodi, Mushin, Ojuelegba and Ajegunle.