The Police in Ogun State, yesterday, released unconditionally, the
30-year-old trader, Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, who was arrested last
Saturday for naming his pet dog ‘Buhari’.
The embattled
trader, who was visibly angry after his three-day incarceration in
police cell, was let off the hook around 5pm on Tuesday after the
intervention of both the Serkin Hausa and President-General of
non-indigenes in the state.
It was learned that the prompt
intervention of the elders made the complainant to withdraw the case he
reported against the trader at Sango-Ota division which was later
transferred to Police headquarters at Eleweran.
However, police
sources said both the complainant and suspect were made to sign an
undertaking not to cause any breach of peace again.
Speaking to
Vanguard after this release, the trader, a father of two from the Niger
Delta, who trades on second hand clothing lamented that he was made to
suffer for no just cause.
Complainant from Niger Republic
Narrating
his ordeal, Chinakwe said “It is annoying because the complainant is
from Niger Republic and I am sure he is one of those illegal aliens in
this country. He connived with one Police Sergeant from the Northern
part of Nigeria called Musa, who works at Sango Police division to
humiliate me. Worse still, the Divisional Police Officer there, did not
help matters as he refused to entertain any plea from me after I was
arrested that Saturday night. He simply ordered his men to throw me into
the cell.”
Why dog was named Buhari
Continuing, he said “I
did not commit any offence. I named my beloved pet dog Buhari, who is
my hero. My admiration for Buhari started far back when he was a
military Head of State. It continued till date that he is a civilian
President. After reading his dogged fight against corruption, which is
like a canker worm eating into the very existence of this country, I
solely decided to rename my beloved dog which I called Buhari, after
him. I did not know that I was committing an offence for admiring
Buhari.
Ordeal with Police
“I was intimidated
and thrown inside the cell with hardened criminals for about three days.
While I was there, the complainant from Niger Republic and Sergeant
Musa from the North kept on taunting me saying people from my part of
the country are trouble makers and that after detaining me, they will
throw me into prison where I will die unsung.
”Even when my wife
came with our baby on her back, they stopped her from giving me food.
One of my friends that came to see me was also maltreated.
“While
taking me to Eleweran the next day, they handcuffed and chained me
together with that my friend. Fortunately, when we got to police
headquarters, both the Commissioner of Police and other officers were
angry with their colleagues at Sango-Ota.
”They were wondering
loudly why I was brought to the headquarters over such a minor case.
It’s very unfortunate that I have to be so humiliated in my own country
because of the antics of a foreigner in connivance with my brother from
the North.”