Bloody mayhem was averted at Oba Aguleri in Anambra East local government area Anambra state last weekend following gruesome murder of a native doctor by a madman over ownership of a goat.
Orient Weekend reliably gathered that the mayhem involved extensive destruction of properties the cost of which runs into millions of naira in the community. Businesses also had to be shut down.
This paper gathered that trouble started when the native doctor [name withheld] tethered a goat he had bought for spiritual sacrifice to a tree and went into the market to pick a few other items. On his return, the animal was no longer there.
Eyewitness in the village told this paper that soon after the native doctor discovered that his sacrificial goat was gone from the tree, he began frantic enquiry about its whereabouts. He was informed that a wandering madman untied it and took it to his house few kilometers away.
“They gave him direction on how to reach the man’s house and he went straight to the place without fear of attack as he relied on the efficacy of his charm as a native doctor.
According to the source, on arrival the native doctor met the madman who was already making advance plans to slaughter the goat for a meal and demanded to know the reason he took his goat. “As he was waiting for response from the madman, the madman quickly dashed into his room and came out with a machete. On seeing the machete in the hand of the madman, the native doctor ran away, with the mad man in hot pursuit. He, unfortunately, fell down and the man caught up with him, macheting him severally for daring him.
The native doctor, it was gathered bled to death at the scene before help could reach him. Incensed by the gruesome murder, irate youths in the area mobilised themselves and headed for the madman’s house to avenge the killing of their kinsman. During the ensuing rampage, some properties were set ablaze.
This paper learnt that the crisis would have degenerated to communal proportions but for the prompt intervention of security operatives who arrived the scene following a distress call. They arrested the killer madman and three other suspects in connection with the mayhem.
According to a source, the arrival of a special squad of the Special Police Anti-Cultism Squad (SPARS) from Enugu-Ukwu saved the situation as the angry mob vowed to retaliate destroying properties as they protested.
Business activities were said to have been paralysed in the area for hours as residents and traders shut shops and went into hiding to avoid being touched.
When contacted, the state police public relations officer, PPRO, Mr Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident saying that the killer and three other suspects had been arrested by the police in connection with the untimely death of the deceased. He explained further that what led to the rampage was the death of the native doctor.
His words, “the man that killed the deceased had been arrested with three others making a total of four suspects “.