By Sijibomi Fatayo
Respite may be on the way for Joe Chinakwe, who was arrested by the Ogun State Police Command, and detained for naming his dog, ‘Buhari’ as the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Zone II Command Headquarters, Lagos, Abdulmajid Ali, yesterday stepped into the matter and ordered that the case file be transferred to his office.
As Sunday Sun gathered from the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the intention of the AIG may not be unconnected with a desire to settle the matter amicably without a recourse to litigation.
In the light of the AIG’s order, Oyeyemi said that the arraignment of Chinakwe in court, earlier scheduled to hold tomorrow, Monday, was consequently put off in deference to the AIG, who elected to pursue alternative resolution of the issues involved.
The case arose when Halilu Umar, an indigene of Sokoto State, complained to the police that the decision of his neighbour, 30-year-old Chinakwe, a trader, to name his dog, Buhari, and write the name on sides of the dog’s body, was an assault on him Umar) in view of the fact that the name chosen by Chinakwe for his dog happened to be the name of his grandfather, Alhaji Buhari. He therefore took umbrage at what he considered a personal affront.
Acting on this complaint, the police arrested Chinakwe and detained him for three days without bail. As at the time of filing this report, Chinakwe was still in police custody.
Opeyemi explained that Chinakwe’s action was viewed as provocative and could lead to an ethnic fight. He said that Chinakwe would have been arraigned in court tomorrow. “But now the AIG wants to intervene in the matter. Since the AIG called for the matter, we have to hold on, to see the effect of the outcome of the step being taken by the AIG. The AIG is the one controlling both Lagos and Ogun State. He has the right to call for any case file and see what he can do about it,” Opeyemi said.