The Ogun State Police Command on Friday said it had rearrested Joe Chinakwe, who named his pet dog Buhari, adding that the suspect would be arraigned in court on Monday.
It also stated that Chinakwe, who was initially released a few days ago, was picked up again based on its belief that the suspect’s action was capable of provoking an ethnic-religious crisis.
The suspect was first taken into custody last Saturday after one of his neighbours, who was later found out to be a Nigerien complained that the dog was named after his father, Alhaji Buhari.
He was released on Tuesday following the intervention of 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 at Sango-Ota Division of the Nigeria Police.
Upon his release, the father-of-two, who hails from Ukwunzu in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State and the complainant were made to sign an undertaking not to cause any breach of peace.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, told journalists that Chinakwe was rearrested to prevent the state from being plunged into crisis, adding that the complainant and his sympathisers had threatened to kill the suspect.
He further stated that the suspect was being held at the Criminal Investigation Department of the command in Eleweran, Abeokuta, noting that the arrest was done to save his life.
Mr Oyeyemi added that the suspect had confessed that he named his pet dog Buhari and had the name written on the body of the dog.
“The man is here with us. He is at the Criminal Investigation Department. The charge will be prepared here and he will be arraigned at Sango Magistrate Court on Monday,” the police spokesman said.
“He is going to court on Monday because what he did was highly provocative. It can cause an ethnic and religious crisis. We have to be proactive; we cannot fold our arms and allow the state to be plunged into crisis.
“In fact, the arrest was made to save the suspect’s life because the complainant and his group have threatened to kill him if he comes back and this may trigger violence”.
