1st December, 2010
People who breed stray animals have been warned that they will be liable for any damage their pets do to neighbours’ property.
The baale-elect of Ijagemo in Iba Local Council Development of Lagos State, High Chief Abdul Hakeem Babatunde Balogun, gave the warning as a goat owner, Simon Akwety, was fined N10,000 for part of the repair of the windscreen of a Honda Prelude car belonging to hiss neighbour, Benjamin Olorunfemi a.k.a. Pastor Fire, which his goat broke.
P.M. NEWS learnt that Akwety’s goat had once damaged Olorunfemi’s car’s windscreen and the pastor decided to forgive the goat and its owner, but shortly after, the same goat damaged the car’s windscreen again.
Olorunfemi then demanded for the sum of N10,000 as part of the money expended to fix his car’s windscreen, but Akwety, a Togolese and cloth (aso oke) weaver at Tigo area of Ijagemo, could not pay in good time.
The aggrieved Olorunfemi dragged him before the baale-elect and was made to sign an undertaking that he would pay the N10,000 within a week and that if he failed, legal action would be taken against him.
Akwety, however, met the deadline and paid the N10,000 which Olorunfemi collected at the baale’s residence.
While addressing the two parties, Balogun warned Akwety and other stray animal breeders in Ijagemo to prepare to bear the responsibilities any time their animals destroyed a neighbour’s property.
“All of you who breed goat, sheep and other domestic animals who move about freely should be ready to bear the brunt whenever your animal destroys neighbour’s property. You have to compensate the owners of such property.
“You will be held responsbile for whatever crime or havoc your animal commits,†he warned.
—Moyo Fabiyi
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