Trouble! Man arrested, to be arraigned for naming his dog Buhari

A trader identified as Joe Fortemose Chinakwe has been arrested in Ogun State, and may soon by charged to court for naming his dog, Buhari.

According to reports, one of his neighbours of Northern extraction lodge a complaint at the Sango Police Station that Chinakwe named his dog after his father, Alhaji Buhari.

The police moved in and picked up 30-year-old Chinakwe, a trader who deals in female wears.

He was said to have not only named the dog Buhari, but inscribed it on but sides of the dog, parading it around his area, which is dominated by northerners.

The police however say they are still searching for the dog which is to be used as evidence against Chinakwe in court, but suspect that his relatives may have hidden it to protect the suspect.

Chinakwe’s relatives are now expressing fears that he may be killed, or poisoned in detention, especially since efforts to bail him have been frustrated.

Their fears were heightened after they discovered that he had been transferred from Sango Police Station where he was initially detained, to Ogun State Police Command headquarters at Eleweran.

A relative of Chinakwe who identified himself as Chiedozie said: “Chinakwe is a lover of dogs. He bought this dog a year ago and named it Buhari. Unfortunately, some Northerners, who dominate the vicinity where he resides misconstrued his intention and connived to take him up”.

He said the man who complanied claimed it was derogatory because his father answers Buhari.

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Police spokesman in Ogun State, Abimbola Oyeyemi, ASP, who confirmed the incident explained that Chinakwe was picked based on the complaints of one mallam after they discovered it was true the dog had ‘Buhari’ inscribed on both sides of its body.

Oyeyemi further noted that such a 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”, he stated.

Continuing, Oyeyemi said; “Chinakwe was arrested last Saturday and we are taking him to court later today (Tuesday) or tomorrow morning (today). You know an average Northerner will feel bad over such a thing. It can cause serious ethnic crisis or religious confrontation because when you are relegating such a name to a certain person, you are indirectly insulting him.”

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