Joe Chinakwe, the man who reportedly named his dog “Buhari”, was on Monday arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Ota, Ogun State.
He was charged with committing an offence bothering on conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
The Prosecutor, Itaita Ebibomini, told the court that the accused person committed the offence on August 13 at the Hausa section of Ketere Market in Sango-Ota, Ota Magisterial District.
Mr Ebibomini, a Police Inspector, said the offence is punishable under Section 249 (d) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, 2016.
According to the charge: “That you Joachim Iroko (aka) Joe and others still at large on August 13, 2016 at about 5:30 pm at Ketere area, Sango in the Ota Magisterial District did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by writing a name, ‘Buhari’ on a dog and parading same in the Hausa section of Ketere Market, Sango and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249 (d) of Criminal Code of Laws of Ogun State, Nigeria 2016.”
At the hearing, the accused who pleaded not guilty to the offence, was represented by a Counsel, Mr U. Michael.
The Counsel pleaded that the accused be granted bail as the offence was a bailable one.
The prosecutor did not, however, oppose the plea for bail.
The Chief Magistrate, B J Ojikutu, subsequently granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 and two sureties who must be regular payers of tax in the state in same sum.
The sureties were also to attach four passport photographs each to the bail bond, depose to affidavits of being gainfully engaged and reside in the court’s jurisdiction.
He thereafter adjourned the case till September 19 for further hearing.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the accused was arrested on Saturday after one of his neighbours complained that he named the dog after his father, Alhaji Buhari.
As a result, the accused was taken to Sango Police Station that day from where he was transferred to the State Command Headquarters at Eleweran, Abeokuta.
As at the time of filing this report, the accused was yet to meet all the bail conditions.
According to a legal practitioner/human rights defender, Inihebe Effiong, Chinakwe’s conduct may be morally questionable but certainly not a criminal offence under any extant law in Nigeria.
According to him, “This development has made it imperative for me to once again intervene in this matter by drawing the attention of the authorities to the unconstitutionalities of their actions against Chinakwe.”
Unconfirmed reports indicated that Chinakwe’s travail is the outcome of a directive from powers that be from Abuja who may have instructed the police authorities to deal with the man for an act that is not a criminal offence.
Chinakwe, while lamenting his present ordeal, said: “I only called the dog that name for the love I have for President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria. I did not mean to taunt or hurt anybody with it. I don’t know what next could follow this; I am afraid for my life; I am in danger, please help me”, he cried.
While the hullabaloo sorrounding Chinakwe’s ordeal with the police authorities on the matter lasted, the social media was again awash with another story of a woman who named her pet dog after the Minister of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed.
According to the woman on her Twitter handle, she decided to call her pet by that identity because of her love for the name.
