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A chilling incident in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, has left residents reeling after a young POS operator narrowly escaped being stabbed to death by a female customer in a botched robbery attempt disguised as a high-value cash transaction.
The drama unfolded opposite Bush Bar on Naka Road, a busy commercial area, when the unidentified victim—a girl operating a Point of Sale (POS) kiosk—was allegedly lured to the suspect’s apartment under the pretext of withdrawing a large sum of money.
According to eyewitness accounts and viral reports circulating online, the woman claimed she preferred to carry out the transaction in the privacy of her home for “security reasons.” Trusting the customer, the innocent operator followed her to the location.
Upon arrival, the first attempt to process the transaction reportedly failed due to insufficient funds in the customer’s account. The woman then excused herself, ostensibly to retrieve another ATM card from a nearby location. Moments later, she returned—not with a card, but with a knife—and launched a violent attack on the POS operator in a desperate bid to kill him and possibly steal his earnings or equipment.
Fortunately, the young man fought back and managed to disarm or escape his assailant, raising an alarm that drew the attention of neighbors and passersby. The suspect fled the scene before security operatives arrived.
The incident, which has since gone viral under hashtags like #QueenDoosh, #Benue, and #Crime, has sparked outrage and concern over the rising sophistication of criminal tactics targeting small business operators, especially women and youth running cash-based services like POS and mobile money agencies.
“These people are now using trust as a weapon. How can you invite someone to your house for a transaction and then try to kill them? This is pure evil,” one social media user commented.
Local police have confirmed they are investigating the matter, with efforts underway to identify and arrest the fleeing suspect. Authorities have also urged POS operators and other petty traders to exercise extreme caution when dealing with unfamiliar customers, especially those requesting off-site transactions.
This near-fatal encounter serves as a grim reminder of the daily risks faced by young entrepreneurs in Nigeria’s informal economy. As cashless transactions grow, so do the dangers lurking behind seemingly legitimate requests.
The victim, though shaken, is said to be receiving support from community members. Many are now calling for enhanced security patrols in commercial areas and the adoption of safer business practices to prevent such horrors in the future.
Makurdi, like many Nigerian cities, continues to grapple with crime despite efforts to curb it. One thing is clear: trust, once broken in this manner, will be hard to rebuild.
