The Lagos State Police Command has said only a court of
law could decide whether the two dogs which ate the skull
of a four-year-old boy in Igando area of Lagos State,
Omonigho Abraham, be killed or not.
The command, which paraded the two dogs at its
headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos State on Tuesday, added that
the dogs had been examined and been found to be
disease-free.
The Commissioner of Police, Cornelius Aderanti, said it was
important to parade the dogs so that the public would rest
assured that the dogs were still in police custody, and had
not been released as being rumoured.
He said, “We have brought the dogs out so that the public
would know that they are still in police custody. They have
been examined and show no negative trait. It is only the
court that will decide what happens to them. The police
cannot decide to kill the dogs.”
PUNCH Metro had reported on Tuesday, October 21, that
the victim, Omonigho, had asked the police to kill the two
dogs which bit his skull.
A veterinary officer of the police, Yahaya Usman, also told
journalists that the medical record showed the dogs had
neither rabies nor other dog-related diseases.
He said, “Initially, we quarantined the dogs, and wanted to
find out whether the dogs had any disease or not. That
was the first step taken by the police. The dogs were under
our watch for a period of weeks.
“So far, they have not shown any negative trait. The
medical history shows that they don’t have rabies or the
Ebola Virus Disease. The dogs are with us, and only the
court will determine what happens to the dogs.”
Meawhile, the victim’s father, Mr. Odiah Abraham, told our
correspondent the dog had three days to the incident
chased a neighbor and his wife had warned the dog owner,
but he refused.
He said, “Three days to the incident, a woman who lives in
the neighbourhood had gone downstairs to spread her
clothes on the line.
“She had left and was approaching her room when the
dogs ran out of their cage and pursued her. She was just
lucky that she was close to her room, if not they would
have bitten her.
“She ran in and shut the door against her. The dogs stood
at the gate for some time and when they saw she did not
open, they ran back to their cage.
“My wife met Stanley (Wesley) and told him to do
something about the dogs, as there were little children
within the neighbourhood, but he just ignored the
warning.”

No picture of the dogs?

That the pix