With the sudden arrest and arraignment of Joe Chinakwe, the man who named his dog Buhari, Nigerians have been divided into two factions with most speaking for the victim. Abimbola Adelakun of Punch News Paper, Reno Omokri and even ace comedian Ali Baba have written very inspirational pieces on it, albeit to say everyone has a right to naming persons, family, property and even pets as deemed fit regardless of intentions from which the name was founded.

However, delving into the argument of the law enforcement agents is a different bowl of soup altogether. The desire to avert crises, violence, uprising and maintain the peace, have forced their hands to arrest, charge and arraign Chinakwe accordingly, a step which judging by the given circumstances was taken too far.

While it would not be out of place to say that engraving Buhari on the dog which Chinakwe confessed to is suspicious, what right has anyone to seek the arrest of another over a seemingly annoying inscription? An annoyed group on the other hand capable of inflicting violence would need the help of invested authority to calm a situation without offending and infringing on the rights of both parties.

Besides the obvious, one of the duties of the law enforcement agents is to remand and settle disputes with tact and finesse. What ever happened to this? Whatever happened to calling both parties to order? Whatever happened to their roles of settling disputes amicably and drumming in sound warnings and instruction to maintain the peace? I daresay that this would not have attracted the largess that comes with an arrest.

Whatever the figuration though, it is said and done already, Joe Chinakwe was arrested, charged, arraigned and bailed all because of perceived uprising over calling a dog a name. There have been grief, sorrow and bitterness over maintaining law, order and keeping the peace. It was just too bad that a dicey situation which needed sound reasoning and tact got blown up into large proportions capable of marring us in the eyes of the international community should they get wind of it.

What do you think?