WHY I NAME MY DOG BUHARI-JOE FORTEMOSE CHINAKWE

By Emma Nnadozie, Crime Editor
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.”

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.”