POLICE DETAINS SHEEP IN MAIDUGURI
…For eating up fried fish
…Fish seller demands justice
The Police in Maiduguri have arrested and detained a lone sheep and her two lambs on a complaint of eating up a heap of fried fish displayed for sale at Bulabulin Ward of the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
The arrest and detention of the mother sheep took place yesterday evening and as at the time of writing this report, the sheep was still under detention.
The arrest was made following a complaint lodged at the Bulabulin Divisional Police headquarters by one Yusuf Ibrahim who sells fish along a busy road in the neighborhood. He complained that the sheep in question had terrorized him for over years by laying in wait for him to be carried away and then pouncing on the stock of fried fish and making a mouthful grab of a chunk until he or bystanders realize and chase her away.
Malam Yusuf Ibrahim said that he had bore the intrusion and criminal behavior of the sheep for five years, but the action of the sheep yesterday had caused him huge losses that he could not take it anymore. He said before his attention turned to the sheep when she made a grab for it, it had eaten a big chunk causing severe loss.
He further remarked that the sheep had formed the habit of coming around his selling point, patiently keeping watch from a distance while he fries, behaving as if it had no ulterior motive and then as soon as his attention shifts, the sheep makes a dash towards the table and before he knew it, it had eaten as much as it could before being sent away.
He added that he had tolerated these acts for five years and had severally asked the owner to take action by tying and feeding the sheep - all to no avail.
The owner of the sheep one Luba Mohammed - a housewife, lamented that she does not know how and when the sheep developed a liking for fried fish. She admitted that the fish seller had indeed laid complains to her severally over the years on the persistent havoc caused him by the sheep.
She begged Malam Yusuf to temper justice with mercy and release the sheep, with a promise that she will either sell, slaughter or tie it at home.
Elders of the neighborhood, Malam Yusuf and Malama Luba were locked in discussions late into the night, at the Police station on how to settle the matter amicably.
Efforts to speak to officers at the Police station on the matter proved abortive. They insisted that they have no mandate to speak to journalists.
