NSUKKA: Tragedy struck at the University town of Nsukka, Enugu State, weekend, when a madman allegedly stoned a popular (artist) to death at Odenigbo in Nsukka local government area of the state while aimlessly throwing stones at different locations in the area.
Vanguard gathered that the madman whose identity could not be ascertained as at press time stays mostly at Odenigbo axis of the town where he often begs for alms and feeds from refuse dumps in the area without harrassing people but suprisingly, he was seen, weekend, in the afternoon throwing stones at different locations while traders, passersby at the small business nerve of the town scampered to evade the stray stones of the lunatic.
The sign writer simply identified as Edwin a.k.a Eddy Arts who hailed from Affa in Udi local government area, Enugu State was said to be busy working in his shop at Odenigbo round about when suddenly the madman’s stray stone hit him at the jaw leaving a very big wound.
Meantime, the lunatic continued with the throwing of his stones with sweat all over his body oblivious of the fact that his stone had already wounded the popular Odenigbo artist.
An eye witness account informed South East Voice that immediately the artist shouted and collapsed, people who rushed and met him in the pool of his own blood, rushed him to a nearby hospital for treatment but unforturnately, the artist gave up the ghost the next day at an undisclosed hospital in the area.
The deceased was said to be one of the leading choir masters at St. Theresa’s Cathedral of the Catholic Dioceses of Nsukka and composer of songs at different Catholic parishes of Nsukka where he assisted to build up choir teams.
The lunatic was allegedly found roaming Ogurugu and Odenigbo axis scavenging for wastes and crums as means of livelihood while his victim laid dead at the hospital morgue in Nsukka.
A visit to the shop of the artist showed that it was sealed with palm frond as a sign in Igbo tradition and culture that the owner of the shop is dead while at his residence at Ofulonu street, Nsukka sympathisers wore mournful looks discussing the tragic death of the artist who stayed at Odenigbo for over ten years as a sign writer.
A family source who would not want his name in print said that the remains of Eddy Arts as he was popularly known and called has been deposited at Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka.
PHOTO FROM OUR ARCHIVES
