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.”