A trader has been arrested by the police in Ogun State for naming his pet dog after Nigeria’s President.
The man, Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, a trader in the Sango market was arrested last week.
The case was reported by one of his neighbours from the Northern part of the country who complained that the dog was named after his father, Alhaji Buhari.
Though, the 30-year-old trader who resides in 10, Omikunle Street, Sango-Ota, Ogun State, was arrested last weekend, the police at the Sango Police Station have not been able to find the dog allegedly named Buhari as evidence.
Chinakwe’s family said the trader has been denied bail and has been transferred to to Ogun State Police Command headquarters at Eleweran.
A relation to the suspect, who simply identified himself as Chiedozie told Vanguard that his brother was being persecuted for no just cause and expressed fears that he may either be poisoned inside police cell or thrown into jail.
“Chinakwe is a lover of dogs and he names them after things that tickle him. He bought this dog a year ago and named it Buhari,” Chidozie said.
“Unfortunately, some Northerners, who dominate the vicinity where he resides misconstrued his intention and connived to take him up. The complainant then claimed it was derogatory because his father answers Buhari.”
Police sources, said the actions of the suspect “were very provocative.”
The source said: “he not only named the dog Buhari but boldly wrote it on the body of both sides of the dog and was seen parading the neighborhood dominated by Northerners with it.”
The acting Police spokesman in Ogun State, Abimbola Oyeyemi told Vanguard that the man bought a dog and inscribed Buhari on both sides of its body.
“One Mallam lodged a complaint and when our men got there, we found out that it was true. You know such thing can cause serious breach of the peace and ethnic or religious unrest. We are charging him to court for conduct likely to cause a breach of peace,” the police spokesperson said.
The police said the man could be charged to court on Wednesday.
When asked about the whereabouts of the dog that will be used as evidence against the suspect, the police spokesman said: “The dog cannot follow anybody except the owner. We will use him as our evidence because he did not deny it.”
