The Lagos State Command of the Nigeria Police Force and residents of the Abule Egba area of the state are currently in search of two dogs that reportedly bit a man to death at night.
The two German shepherds, OsunDaily News learnt, are meant to be guarding a Catholic church in the area but strayed into the street and bite one Hashiru Isah to death.
The victim was reportedly on his way home around 11:30 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, when the dogs descended on him. During the attack, the dogs reportedly bit Isah in different parts of his body.
Residents are said to have rescued Isah from the dogs and immediately rushed him to the Orile Agege General Hospital where he later died.
The PUNCH reported that a relative of the victim informed the Oke-Odo Police Station personnel of the situation after which operatives were drafted to the scene to commence an investigation.
Relatives of the deceased are said to have expressed sadness over the development, but thereafter retrieved Isahโs corpse for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
โThe attack happened in the night. The dogs strayed onto the streets and bit him to death. The dogs are still missing; someone took them away. The victimโs family members are Hausa; they were not interested in police investigation and went ahead to bury his corpse,โ the source who confirmed the incident to newsmen said.
The Overseer Of The Church Is Not Around – Police Confirms
Confirming the sad development, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, told reporters that efforts were ongoing to locate the dogs.
He said, โThe case file is still open; we havenโt closed it. But we canโt proceed with any investigation now because the deceasedโs family has declined to assist with any investigation.
โThe corpse of the deceased was released on compassionate grounds. We have also tried to verify things as we keep all options open. The exact circumstances have yet to be established because this recently happened.
โFindings are still being made. But indications showed that the dogs strayed onto the street and attacked a passerby. The passerby was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
โThe general overseer of the church was not around; only one caretaker was at home taking care of the dogs and he has made a statement as we await the arrival of the owner of the premises and the dogs. We are still trying to locate the dogs.โ
The Dogs Should Be Captured And Beheaded – Varsity Don
A Professor of Public Health, University of Ilorin, Tanimola Akande, who reacted badly to the incident, said there shouldn’t be stray dogs on the street.
He described the action of the person who took away the said dogs as a criminal.ย Akande said, โWe call dogs like that stray dogs; some of these dogs are not vaccinated, and they also get infected with rabies and become wild.
โWhen they bite human beings, they transfer rabies, a fatal disease. Such dogs should be captured and beheaded.
โIn this case, the dogs can have rabies, but rabies does not kill immediately. Usually, the person that is bitten barks like a dog before dying. If the symptoms are not there, it is not likely to be the cause of the death.”
The varsity Don is optimistic that Isah’s death was a result of several injuries from the dogs’ bite.
He said: “The most important thing is that the dogs need to be restrained; there shouldnโt be stray dogs. In the developed world, if dogs are outside, somebody is holding them.
โIf dogs move anyhow, there are veterinarians that catch such dogs. Some of the captured dogs are killed and some owners will have to pay to get their dogs back. The Nigerian government needs to return to those days when stray dogs are captured and dealt with.โ
On her part, a veterinary doctor, Funmilayo Alao, said the owner of the dogs had yet to provide them because the case was not reported to the right quarters.
โThere is a dog law in Lagos State that could be used to arrest the owner of the dogs. Your dog cannot just bite somebody or step out on the streets. It is because the case was not reported to the right quarters. The case could be reported at the Alausa Veterinary Department,”ย Alao said.
This article was originally published on OsunDaily News