A dog has caused serious outrage in a Lagos community after pouncing on and killing a really young boy in the area.
File photo used only for illustrative purpose
A dog breeder on Rufus Olaniyan Estate, Irawo, Ikorodu, Lagos, has been arrested.
The man was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command in
connection with the death of a five-year-old boy allegedly killed by one
of the dogs under his care.
According to Punch Metro, it was learnt that the suspect,
identified as Lola Jonathan, was apprehended by the police at the Owode
Onirin Police Division and transferred to the State Criminal
Investigation and Intelligence Department in Panti, Yaba.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos,
in a text message confirmed the arrest to our correspondent on Thursday.
“The case was not reported promptly for investigation. However,
the suspect has been arrested and taken to the SCIID. Investigation is
ongoing,” she said.
It was gathered that the dog and 18 others were in Jonathan’s care as his father, who owns them, barely lived on the estate.
The boy, Jomiloju Odukomaya, was reportedly returning from a shop,
where he had gone to buy a packet of biscuits on August 8, when the dog
pounced on him and bit him in the left hand.
He was said to have contracted rabies from the dog bite and
eventually died on September 18 at the Lagos University Teaching
Hospital, Idi Araba.
Jomiloju’s mother, Mrs. Patience Odukomaya, lamented that neither
Jonathan nor his father show concern for the family over the death of
the Nursery 2 pupil, calling on the government and human rights groups
to take up the matter.
She said, “I took him to a clinic immediately the dog bit him
and the wound was treated. About two weeks after, he started exhibiting
some strange signs. He screamed, barked and was drooling at the mouth.
“I took him to Randle Hospital on September 13 and a test
conducted on him showed that he had contracted rabies. The hospital
referred us to the LUTH. He died five days after.
“While he was receiving treatment, Jonathan came to check on
him at my shop. But when he learnt that he was dead, he stopped coming
and pretended as if the dog wasn’t his. I have lost my home; I don’t
want to lose justice. My husband blamed me for the incident; whereas
that was not the first time Jomiloju would go to buy things himself,” she added.
Patience said she had been moving from one place to another with
her one-year-old daughter since September 19 when her husband sent her
packing because of the matter, adding that Jonathan was adamant to admit
that his dog bit Jomiloju.
“Three weeks ago, I went to the house. The moment he
(Jonathan) sighted me, he ran inside. I went to the Owode Onirin Police
Station and a policeman followed me there. He didn’t come out. The
policeman couldn’t enter because his dogs had been unleashed on the
premises. They are about 19. He was eventually arrested on Tuesday.”
When our correspondent visited the residence last Thursday, Jonathan’s neigbour, Hamzat Olawale, said he was not around.
He said, “When he (Jonathan) learnt that a dog bit the boy, he
visited his mother because he is friendly to everybody. I also
sympathised with her. She didn’t allow the boy to have proper medical
treatment.
“Besides, there is no evidence to show that it was our dog that
bit the boy. Several dogs do come into our compound to play with ours.
She thought it was our dog because we used to visit the boy to know his
health condition. We have 19 dogs and no one has ever complained that
the dogs bit them.”
When the press went back to the residence on Sunday, Olawale said the case was already with the police.
The Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Veterinary
Medical Association, Dr Alao Mobolaji, who confirmed that Jomiloju died
of rabies, called for stronger legislation on dog rearing.
He said, “The mother has received post-exposure immunisation
against rabies because the boy bit her before he died. Dog owners should
always ensure their dogs are vaccinated against rabies. They should
patronise veterinary doctors. They should not allow their dogs to stray
around the neighbourhood. Jomiloju’s case is just one among many.”
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