A suspected lunatic on Tuesday escaped lynching by irate youths of Oba community, Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area, after he hacked a herbalist to death over a goat bought by the deceased.

It was gathered that trouble was ignited when the native doctor, whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, tied a goat he bought for sacrifice round a tree and left it to go to the market.

A source who pleaded anonymity said that when the native doctor returned and could not find his goat where he tied it, he sought to find out what happened to it until he was told that a mentally deranged man living close-by took away the goat.

"He went to the mad man's house and on getting there, he was shocked to see him (the madman) already slaughtering the goat.

"When he inquired from the madman why he took his goat away, the mad said that it was his turn to eat the goat, that the herbalist cannot continue eating goat alone every day. On further questioning, the mad man went into his room, took a matchet and went after the herbalist", he added.

It was further learnt that though the herbalist ran for his life on sighting the matchet, the mentally deranged man pursued him until he caught up with him and hacked him down.

The native doctor subsequently bled to death before help could come his way.

When news of the herbalist' death filtered into the community, irate youths mobilised and stormed the mentally deranged man's house to avenge the killing of one of their own.

Information has it that the timely intervention of security operatives stopped the situation from snow balling into a communal crisis.

Confirming the incident, the state police spokesman, PPRO Mohammed Haruna said the culprit has been arrested.