From BAMIGBOLA GBOLAGUNTE, Osogbo
The unusual and the unexpected happened in Osun State last Tuesday when an agency of the state government, the Osun Waste Management Agency (OWMA) arrested and detained five goats. The goats were detained for allegedly roaming around the Dele-Yesa area of Osogbo, the state capital.
The action of the agency was described as uncommon in the history of the 22 year old state, as it has never been recorded that animals in the past were arrested either by the Police or any agency of the state government. The arrest was for violating the state environmental laws which prohibit rearing of pet animals in residential areas.
They were thus detained at the custody of OWMA at the state headquarters of the agency located at the Gbongan/Ibadan road, Ogo Oluwa, Osogbo. Sunday Sun learnt that three of the animals spent five days while two spent more as their owners did not show up in time to claim them. The agency believed that even though goats are lesser animals, they should not urinate or defecate within the residential premises, and the offences the animals committed “knowingly” or unknowingly, ran fowl of the provisions of the state laws.
Article 101, cap 2 of the 2002 Laws of Osun State states that “No bird or animal shall be allowed to stray to any road or public place or urinate or defecate in any public place in the state.” It is the section of the laws of the state the goats violated, hence their subsequent arrest and prosecution by the agency of government responsible for sanitation and environmental protection in the state.
The goats, according to the Director of Environmental Management and Sanitation in the state Waste Management Agency, Mr. Henry Ogunbanwo were arrested in the early hours of the day by officers of the agency who stormed the area to inspect the level of compliance of residents of the area to earlier instructions to keep their goats and other pet animals in the cage.
The goats who fell victims of the government’s policy were arrested after they had defecated and urinated in the presence of their owners. Ogunbanwo who said his agency had earlier carried out a sensitization programme to the entire nook and cranny of the state, said the goats were taken to the agency’s office where they were fed and properly taken care of, stressing that the officers of the agency understand what it takes to take care of animals, hence the best care was given to the animals outside the custody of their owners with proper diet of foods provided for them, courtesy of the agency.
It was gathered that the officers of the agency actually provided foods for the goats while in detention but the animals did not eat the foods well as they were tied down in the detention and denied access to natural food, even as they were denied right to free movement which the animals enjoy most. The five goats were tied down separately and continued to make serious noise in their detention until their owners appeared.
In a critical study of the animals at their detention, the animals, though given food as and when due did not feel comfortable as their noise kept disturbing activities at the OWMA’s office. Sunday Sun reports that the animals thus became the cynosure of every individual that entered into the premises of the office. However, the goats shouted each time they saw their owners who came intermittently to make case for their release until they were asked to pay a fine of N10,000 which the laws prescribed for the offences committed by the goats.
Ogunbanwo said owners of the goats were to pay the sum of N10,000 each as fine to the coffers of the state government, and the money was to be paid in bank and not to any officer of the agency. The money, according to him would contribute to the Internally Generated Revenue of the state government. He said any of the owners of the goats who fail to pay the fine within seven days of the arrest of the goats in addition to the money spent by the agency to feed the animals would forfeit the ownership of the animals. It was gathered that owners of the goats showed up at the detention camps of their animals where they were asked to pay the N10,000 prescribed amount for goats whose worth was not up to the said money.
Ogunbanwo who is also the state President of the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria disclosed that the agency was acting in line with the provisions of article 101 of the 2002 laws of Osun state which prohibits rearing of animals in residential areas, adding that the agency has the backing of the court. The OWMA boss who hinted that a court of competent jurisdiction had empowered the agency to arrest any stray animal roaming around residential areas within the state noted that some owners of the arrested goats had approached the agency to claim their goats, but the agency could not release the goats to them as they failed to produce evidence of payment of their fines. He insisted that owners of the animals were compelled by law to pay the prescribed fine or forfeit the ownership of the goats.
He recalled that the agency had before now been arresting domestic animals in the state and hinted that sensitization and enlightenment programmes had earlier been organized by the agency to educate owners of domestic animals on the existing laws guiding rearing of animals in the state. According to him, the goats if allowed to roam around residential areas could transmit tuberculosis, antrax, buselosis and other zoonotis diseases which they carry to residents of the areas. He advised owners of domestic animals in the state to keep them in a cage to avoid being arrested by the agency, as according to him officers of the agency have been deployed to all parts of the state to arrest erring animals.
He disclosed that the goats would be sold to interested members of the public should the genuine owners fail to show up within the stipulated time with the proof of ownership and evidence of payment of fine with the money for the feeding of the animals. One of the owners of the detained goats who spoke at the premises of the OWMA Office, Mrs Sherifat Babalola said “it is unfortunate that we have to pay that much to claim our goats back. I am not aware of any law guiding rearing of domestic animals in the state until the very day my goats were arrested.
The N10,000 to pay is too much as my two goats that were arrested were not even up to N5,000 if I’m to sell them and now I will have to pay N10,000 for just one goat. Since the arrest of the animals, people rearing animals in the state are more careful as pet animals are now prevented from roaming major parts of the state, especially Osogbo, the state capital where the first set of victims of violators of the environmental laws were arrested.
I cant stop laughing! This writer need national award.
I don’t really see anything funny in this news, aren’t we tired of killed animals rotting on our roads? Though, one would expect the government to create awareness among the people before implementing any law. At least it is the goats first offence, let them go pleaseeeeee
You are right; the goats should be allowed to go freeeeeee! It is all NONSENSE to pay “a fine of N10,000″ to secure the “freedom” of a goat that is worth less than “N5,000″. It is more strategic and beneficial to “forfeit the ownership of the goats” than to pay the fine.
if u went home n meet ur mum complaining that a goat went to her farm n destroyed all the vegetables n crops she labored to plant n that the police came there n picked up d goat n looking for the owner, will u go n tell the police to ”let them go pleaseeeeee”’?
The truth is that one have to forfeit his property if the penalty fee is greater than the said property. Since these goats are less costly than the bailing fees, then the owners should let them go, they should forget it, period.
Big west african dwarf goats didn’t worth N10,000 let alone the kids. The owners should please forget them let their governor enjoy the meat this weekend since he can’t afford a goat meat. Period. It is quite unpathetic that we now have Veterinary Lawyers in Nigeria. Hahahahaaaha.
if u went home n meet ur mum complaining that a goat went to her farm n destroyed all the vegetables n crops she labored to plant n that the police came there n picked up d goat n looking for the owner, will u be talking about ”Big west african dwarf goats”?
It is quite funny that Law as a Profession is moving. Into quackery as we now have Veterinary Lawyers in Nigeria. Hahahahaaaha.
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These programme was launched durning IDIAGBON regime tag WAI.But ,the OSUN tag is unknown.Arresting goat or stray animals will boost their IGR.Now, how will these agency arrest COW,HORSE and anti rabbiesdog.They should be careful, before arresting BOKO HARRAM animals.
Kola Amodu, pls come and comment on the rascality displayed by your Rastafarian gov. A goat ie of 2000 naira as asking price in the open market is now being fined 10,000 naira by their owners, meaning outright forfeiture to be rested finally at Aregbesola,s stomach. Wonders shall never end in this failed state called Nigeria cum banana nation. He will soon introduced vet law as a course to those that will be defending animals and reptiles like cobra, vipers, pythons because these ones also creep along the streets of Osogbo mega city. Ifa spiritualist has already been conscripted to handle young people both at the primary and tertiary level. No thanks to justice Ayo Salami. The school curriculum will witness two alien courses in Osun state school system via Aregbesola,s new initiatives as the chief security officer of the state.
I think Fashola should also learn from this people and put such law I to action in Lagos, it’s not about planting three alone.
WAO……
Wia z d stupid kola amuewu..let hm cum nd comment on dis..nw u cn c hw ur xo cald rich west z arrestin innocent goats jst 2 xtort money 4rm dia ownerz claimin it wld help to boost dia Internali Generatd Revenue..hahahahaha..i jst cnt stp lafin..YARIBA PPL & DIA LAZINEX SEF..LWKMD
this is junk journalism. sun just wants to sell paper by using the word ‘arrest’. the goats – or any animal moving around unguarded is public nuisance and the owners should be held responsible. if you cannot take care of any animal, then don’t acquire it.
can u imagine what will happen if a stray goat runs into ur way as u drive or cycle, or into ur kitchen or into ur flourishing farm, or runs into the national assembly during a session, or into the runway of a landing plane (God forbid), etc.
a good report but painted wrongly just to attract attention.
what was done was safe removal of nuisance from the public and the owners are just paying for their irresponsibility.
if any of the goat had caused accident that resulted in death, the owners would have gone into hiding n denied being owners of the goats.
Is it not only the goat that will constitute public nuisance, what about the creeping reptiles like viper, cobra including python, I do hope their movement along Osogbo mega city will breach public peace and should be arrested equally in accordance with Osun state law caption 275 subsection 2, article 16 as amended 2012. IGR of the state will be boosted with the new edict. U can imagine what a stray viper or anaconda will cause members of the public at Osogbo if a commuter bus is passing bye, the owners should be arrested ( ie thick jungle) for the offence committed.
Mr BAMIGBOLA GBOLANGUNTE, must be conferred the best reporter of the year 2013 by the guides of editors in Nigeria, this is excellent reporting.
They should allso arrest any fulany cow seen in state,I dont know what is wrong with yariba, Allways afraid of fulani men rearing cow and quik to arrest ordinary goat own by a fellow yariba, what a wickednes against his own ppl, Awolowo footstep indeed.
Any day they attempted on Fulani cows that will spell doom on Osun, they cann,t try it, that will amount suicidal. The madness will become a thing of pass, Kola Amodu knows the implication, that,s why he can not comment on this delicate issue, an effeminate man like Kola Amodu.
A funny news indeed. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola!!!!!!
But the goats were not found guilty by any court of law , so, does paying fine not amount to extortion ?