Nigerians were shocked after seeing a video on social media displaying the lifeless physique of a safety guard, who three mastiff-type canines killed on November 5, 2024. Studies had it that the canine strayed from their proprietor’s compound and attacked the guard on evening responsibility at Pinnock Property, Ilasan, within the Lekki space of Lagos. The proprietor of the canine, Salisu Mustapha, was instantly arrested. At the same time, the OK-9 unit of the police drive confiscated the canine consisting of two South African Booerboel Mastiffs and a Cane Corso.
In 2014, four-year-old Omoniho Isaac Abraham was nearly mauled to death by two German Shepherd canines while taking part in it along with his brothers at Home 35, Adegboyega Road, Akesan, within the Igando space of Lagos. The canines weren’t chained by their proprietor, Stanley Jegede, who was the owner’s brother. Pictures from the incident, which occurred around 5 pm, confirmed that Omoniho’s scalp was eliminated by the canine to disclose his cranium. He needed to be flown to India for remedy.
In October 2022, a 36-year-old man, Ashiru Isa, was mauled to death by two German Shepherd canines within the Abule-Egba space of Lagos. Based on a police report, the person was on his way home when the canine bounced out of a Catholic church and attacked him. His brother stated the canine left a number of chunk marks on the deceased.
The above are only a few of the reported instances of assaults by canines of international origin in Nigeria. Amid experiences like these, many Nigerians nonetheless spend large quantities to import unique breeds regardless of the provision of mongrels, in any other case generally known as native canines. Talking with our correspondent, a canine importer and proprietor of Moonlight Pets of Africa, Adekunle Oluwatimilehin, stated that this is because of the notion that international breeds are extra prestigious and of higher quality than the native canines, who nearly haven’t any harmful reports about them.
“The assistance of social media promotion has fueled the notion. Additionally, when folks journey out, they see these canines and the way they’re getting used. After they evaluate them to our native canine, they have an inclination to discover a desire for the international breeds,” he stated.
He added that the international breeds, which he described as invented breeds, are appropriate for particular functions that our native canines cannot perform.
“The German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois are largely utilized in Ok-9 works on the airport and prepare stations. They’re used to smell medicine, ammunition, contraband, and so on. The Dogo Argentino is used for dogfighting sports activities. The Labrador is used to assist folks with disabilities, whereas some are skilled to carry out CPR on folks,” he stated.
Nonetheless, he lamented that most individuals who get these breeds in Nigeria don’t use them for such functions.
“That’s as a result of their lack of correct information about proudly owning canines. They wish to personalize such a canine for proudly owning sake. Those who purchase our imported canine are high-class individuals who act as dads and moms to the canine. For somebody to pay between $5,000 and $15,000 for a canine, you must know that such an individual can take care of the canine. Whereas some consider simply shopping for a canine and preserving it locked up, others use them for the purpose they had been bred,” he stated.
Breeds banned overseas discover a house in Nigeria
Our correspondent’s visit to the Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport (MMIA) in Lagos revealed the speed at which completely different canine breeds discover their method in Nigeria. Many of the breeds sighted at the airport are banned in numerous international locations because of the fee at which they assault people.
Within the UK, the federal government stated it’s towards the regulation to personalize or promote the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro. Within the US, sure cities have canine breeds that aren’t allowed. The breeds that frequent the record embrace Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Cane Corso, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, and Dogo Argentino, to name a few.
Standing on the MMIA, our correspondent might see a few of these breeds arriving in Nigeria and being acquired by those who ordered them. One such breed is the Caucasian Ovcharka, which is used for herding livestock and is understood to be highly effective and sufficient to take down a wolf. The breed is banned in Denmark, Italy, Ukraine, and Belarus. The person who welcomed the pet, Collins, stated that no regulatory physique checks their exercise, which is the identical factor acknowledged by Oluwatimilehin, who additionally imports canines. A canine professional, Tail Lords, stated that the one examined at the airport relating to imported canines had to do with quarantine service.
Canine expertise a warmth cycle each six months and might litter twice a year. A canine can have as many as 18 puppies in a litter, a few of which will probably be feminine. This means that within the subsequent 30 years, coupled with irresponsible breeding, Nigeria will probably be suffering from unique breeds. In a state like Lagos, the place where most of those breeds arrive, rules are put in place regarding harmful breeds. Such rules embrace obligatory muzzling in public, extra licensing, or insurance coverage necessities for house owners of such breeds. Nonetheless, most house owners I spoke to in Lagos don’t have licenses, and lots of them have by no means heard of such necessities.
“After I obtained my canine as a pet, a veterinary physician suggested to me the canine’s well-being and the necessity for anti-rabies. I by no means obtained any recommendation on having a license for the canine,” stated Kunle, the proprietor of a five-year-old Boerboel.
Based on Tail Lords, native governments have the facility to challenge canine licenses; however, they haven’t been efficient in that regard. He additionally blamed the nonchalant perspective of Nigerians for canines not having licenses.
“There’s a canine regulation in Lagos that we pushed for an evaluation about two years ago, but it surely was politicized,” he lamented.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Info and Technique, Gbenga Omotosho, was unavailable to talk on the problem.
Tail Lords stated the thought behind canine licensing is to verify a canine’s well-being; that’s to know if it has acquired all the required vaccines. He stated the breed of the canine is ascertained and, in addition, the dealing with capability of the proprietor.
“They verify that your home is the sort that goes with that canine breed. As an illustration, you can’t personally bully a canine that may leap excessively, whereas the fence to your home is low. These are a few of the components that need to be thought of within the presence of rules,” he stated.
A veterinary physician, recognized merely as Petposh Vet, suggested that house owners of such breeds want coaching on accountable possession. He additionally lamented the unavailability of a regulatory physique that controls canine possession in Nigeria.
The necessity for harmful canine
Prior to now 12 months, 4,556 folks have misplaced their lives to insecurity and seven,086 kidnapped in Nigeria. That is in line with knowledge gathered by the Armed Battle Location and Occasion Information Challenge (ACLED). Throughout the identical interval, a number of experiences present that farms have been raided by bandits who obtain charges from farmers earlier than farming actions happen. Cattle rustlers have additionally been on the rampage, leaving many counting losses.
City areas will not be additionally protected from legal actions. Based on current statistics, the Lagos State Prison Info System (LCI) positioned the Lekki, Oshodi/Isolo, and Apapa areas as having the best crime charges in Lagos. A number of the crimes dedicated by suspects arrested embrace cellphone snatching, rape, and housebreaking, throughout which automotive components and turbines get stolen.
Defending oneself amid such legal actions largely requires the possession of a firearm. Nonetheless, such can solely be backed by a license, which authorities consider will assist in preventing anarchy within the nation. This has been a serious constraint to gun possession, leaving residents at the mercy of legal components. Some residents now resort to proudly owning harmful canines for their own safety.
Tail Lords laments that it could be a disservice to ban the possession of harmful breeds in the face of safety challenges within the nation.
“Within the UK, it’s okay for them to ban the Cane Corso, one of many frequent guard canines in Nigeria right now. That’s as a result of the chance of any person breaking into my home in Sheffield to rob without correct planning may be very low. However, such often occurs in Isolo, Mowe, and Ikeja. That these canines have been banned in certain locations doesn’t imply we must always ban them right here. What we have to do is make sure that those in possession of those animals can manage them,” he stated.
Additional talking, he positioned the majority on the desk of the police, urging them to make sure the safety of lives and property, including that such would justify any crackdown on canine breeds labeled as harmful.
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