<\/p>\n
A 30-year-old Igbo trader has been arrested by the police in Ogun State<\/p>\n
for naming his pet dog \u2018Buhari\u2019.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The trader, Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, of No 10, Omikunle Street, Sango-Ota,<\/p>\n
was reportedly arrested last weekend.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
One of his neighbours of Northern extraction had complained bitterly that<\/p>\n
he named his dog after his father, Alhaji Buhari.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It was learned that the complainant reported the case at Sango Police<\/p>\n
Station, last Saturday, after which the trader was arrested and detained.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, it was gathered that efforts by the police to recover the dog,<\/p>\n
which they intended using as evidence, failed following a clever move by<\/p>\n
the suspect.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The trader had allegedly directed his friends secretly to kill the dog and<\/p>\n
possibly eat the meat in order to avoid implications.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It was gathered that consistent appeals by his friends and relations for<\/p>\n
the police to grant him bail failed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
That was because the complainant and his kinsmen reportedly threatened to<\/p>\n
kill the trader if he was released on bail.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The case, however, took a different dimension two days later when<\/p>\n
Chinakwe\u2019s relatives went to Sango Police Station to further plead for his<\/p>\n
bail.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They were informed that the case file and the suspect have been<\/p>\n
transferred to Ogun State Police Command Headquarters at Eleweran.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A relation to the suspect, who simply identified himself as Chiedozie,<\/p>\n
told Vanguard that his brother was being persecuted for no just cause.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He expressed fears that he may either be poisoned inside police cell or<\/p>\n
thrown into jail.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chiedozie said: \u201cChinakwe is a lover of dogs and he names them after<\/p>\n
things that tickle him.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cHe bought this dog a year ago and named it Buhari.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, some Northerners, who dominate the vicinity where he<\/p>\n
resides misconstrued his intention and connived to take him up.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe complainant then claimed it was derogatory because his father answers<\/p>\n
Buhari.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Police sources, however, told Vanguard that the actions of the suspect<\/p>\n
\u201cwere very provocative.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
One of the sources said: \u201cHe not only named the dog Buhari but boldly<\/p>\n
wrote it on the body of both sides of the dog and was seen parading the<\/p>\n
neighbourhood dominated by Northerners with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As at press time, relations to the suspect were still making frantic<\/p>\n
efforts to effect his bail while his accusers insist that he must be<\/p>\n
prosecuted.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When contacted around 8pm yesterday, the acting Police Spokesman in Ogun<\/p>\n
State, Abimbola Oyeyemi, ASP, said he was still trying to get the<\/p>\n
Divisional Police Officer in-charge of Sango for details.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Oyeyemi later called, stating: \u201cI have made enquiries. The man bought a<\/p>\n
dog and inscribed Buhari on both sides of its body.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cOne Mallam lodged a complaint and when our men got there, we found out<\/p>\n
that it was true.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know such thing can cause serious breach of the peace and ethnic or<\/p>\n
religious unrest.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are charging him to court for conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Continuing, he said: \u201cHe was arrested last Saturday and we are taking him<\/p>\n
to court later today (Tuesday) or tomorrow morning (today).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know an average Northerner will feel bad over such a thing.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can cause serious ethnic crisis or religious confrontation because<\/p>\n
when you are relegating such a name to a certain person, you are<\/p>\n
indirectly insulting him.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When asked about the whereabouts of the dog that will be used as evidence<\/p>\n
against the suspect, the police spokesman said:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dog cannot follow anybody except the owner. We will use him as our<\/p>\n
evidence because he did not deny it.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A 30-year-old Igbo trader has been arrested by the police in Ogun State for naming his pet dog \u2018Buhari\u2019. The trader, Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, of No 10, Omikunle…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n