Court gives judgement on man who named dog Buhari

Joachim Iroko who caused controversy when he named his dog Buhari has been set free by a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Sango-Otta on Tuesday, July 25. The 41-year old Nigerian was reported to the police by one Haliru Umar from Sokoto State in August 2016 for breach of peace after he named his dog Buhari.

 He was accused of harbouring hatred for President Muhammadu Buhari but his arrest sparked nationwide criticism.

Premium Times reports that the magistrate, O.O. Adebo ruled that the prosecutor failed to substantiate its case against Iroko and thus struck out all the charges against him. Iroko’s lawyer expressed delight over the judgement and praised the court for its ruling.

It will be recalled that Iroko raised alarm about threat to his life. Iroko and his wife observed strange individuals lurking within the precinct of their residential apartment in Sango Ota, Ogun state.

On noticing the suspicious movements, he took his wife and two children to where they could get a vehicle to convey them to a relation's house to pass the night.

A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Sango-Otta on Tuesday dismissed charges filed against a resident of the Ogun State community for naming his dog ‘Buhari.’

The magistrate, O.O. Adebo, said the prosecution failed to substantiate its case against Joachim Iroko, consequently striking out all charges preferred against him.

Mr. Iroko’s lawyer was ecstatic Tuesday, praising the court for the verdict.

Mr. Iroko, 41, was arrested in August 2016 for causing a breach of peace after he was reported by his neighbour who alleged insensitivity in Mr. Iroko’s action.

The neighbour, identified as Haliru Umar from Sokoto State, said Mr. Iroko harboured sinister motives when he gave his name the same name as President Muhammadu Buhari.

The arrest of Mr. Iroko sparked nationwide outrage in August 2016 and critics accused the police of stifling constitutionally guaranteed freedom to satisfy the president.

The police denied that Mr. Iroko’s ordeal had anything to do with the president but strictly about the breach of peace complaints received from his neighbour.

The presidency also reacted to the arrest when Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said the president paid more attention to cartoon pages in the newspapers rather than following Mr. Iroko’s case that was generating nationwide furore at the time.

But a lack of diligent prosecution prompted Mr. Adebo to free Mr. Iroko at the resumed trial Tuesday.
The magistrate said the prosecution failed to provide witnesses since December 2016, and, at some point, stopped appearing for hearing.

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