One of Nigeria’s foremost rights lawyer, Femi Falana has spoken against the prosecution of Joachim Chinakwe, a Nigerian who named his dog “Buhari”.
According to reports, Falana said that Chinakwe’s ordeal had no place in the Nigerian statute, adding that labeling his dog with his desired name was in exercise of his fundamental rights to free speech which should not be curtailed by the Nigerian state.
”I am going to request the attorney-general of Ogun State to discontinue the frivolous charge. It is against Section 36(9) of the Constitution to charge a man for a criminal offence that is unknown to law,” Mr. Falana said.
“It is also illegal to use the machinery of government to harass any citizen. If the president is aggrieved by the naming of dog after him, he is at liberty to sue for libel. But the police cannot invoke criminal proceeding to intimidate the fellow.”