Qatar authorities are still searching for a Nigerian expat who reportedly stabbed his former roommate last week in a fight over an internet device.

The incident, first reported by Gulf Times, took place last Monday, days after the Peninsula reported a death by stabbing at a labor camp in the Industrial Area.

In this latest incident, the alleged attacker, a safety officer who has lived in Qatar for three years, told his four roommates he was moving out and introduced them to his replacement.

The roommates protested, as their space in an old villa was already too crowded. The man grew annoyed, left, and then returned to retrieve the internet cable hooked up in the room.

The victim said that’s when he intervened. Gulf Times reports:

“O N threatened to kill me with a pair of scissors he was holding at the time if I tried any further to stop him from removing the cable, claiming that it (Internet) belonged to him.

When he continued with the disconnection, I struggled to collect the cable from him and headed towards our room. Then suddenly, he stabbed me with the scissors on the back twice. I was jolted and  turned around only to be jabbed in the chest and in the head.”

Eventually, the victim was rescued by his other roommates, and the alleged attacker ran out of the room. Speaking to Doha News, Victor Ikoli, a spokesman for the Nigerian community, said the man remains at large.

Frustration mounts

According to the Peninsula, violent incidents between low-income expats in Qatar are becoming increasingly frequent. Earlier this month, the newspaper reported that a 31-year-old Indian expat was stabbed by a Nepalese peer in the Al Sailiya labor camp. 

Qatar has seen a rapid influx of construction workers in the past few years, as mega projects ahead of the 2022 World Cup get underway. These expats are typically housed together in cramped spaces outside of Doha, limited recreational options and increasing their isolation.

However, despite the growing tensions amid different groups of workers, Ikoli said incidents among the Nigerian community are uncommon.

“It’s a rarity just hearing such for the first time,” he said. “The community members are law abiding and go about their duties only one of such case as this. We hope he’s apprehended and properly dealt with.”

Thoughts?

Credit: Photo for illustrative purposes only by Brandon Anderson