Goat Robbery Suspect
Thinking about the title of this post brings back fond memories to me of childhood. If you were born in the seventies in Nigeria, I’m sure you’ll have a few thoughts peeping out from the dusty recess of your mind. It was on Sunday evenings back in those days, and somehow we tried not to miss it. They were stories with values, and they connected with us so strongly then.
A few years down the line, tales by moonlight had gone, and what we had featuring so strongly on our local sets, were, “Iriri Aye”. These were true life stories that were difficult to believe. They were strange but true events, that could send jitters down any spine. When I read the article yesterday that said that a goat had been caught as a robbery suspect in Kwara State, my mind did quick flashbacks. Now, is this tales by moonlight, or Iriri Aye?
Apparently, the goat had not always been a goat. The goat “suspect” is being detained over an alleged attempt to snatch a Mazda car. The mysterious goat, according to the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Tunde Mohammed, while briefing bewildered journalists at the Force headquarters, is an armed robber who attempted to snatch the said car, Wednesday night, and later transformed into the goat in a bid to escape arrest. He explained that men of a vigilance group in Anifowose Ipata/Oloje areas of the state capital had chased two armed robbery suspects who wanted to demobilise the Mazda car with the intention of stealing it, and “while one of them escaped, the other was about to be apprehended by the team when he turned his back on the wall and turned to this goat. They quickly grabbed the goat and here it is.’’ Mohammed said.
I’ve starred long and hard at the picture of the goat, and it does look guilty 
. The question lurking in my mind, and hopefully yours, is what is there to learn from this goat, tale by moonlight story? While the whole story sounds very bizarre to say the least, there are a few interesting thoughts in my mind
1. Can human beings change to animals? Well, at least when the westerners do it they call it science fiction, what do we call this, traditional fiction? I’m a Yoruba guy, and I have read a good variety of our folklore, have heard some direct stories of bizarre things from my parents, and partly witnessed something about a woman that came to my house to say thank you (according to the little pictures I can remember then, we could not understand her reason for thanking us, and the only thing we had done previously was save the life of a funny looking bird) when I was 3-4, so somehow it’s a bit conceivable to me that a thief turned into a goat, but gosh I would like to see it happen for myself . I wonder, I just wonder.
2. Why turn into a goat? Did the guy have an option of what to turn into? Why not a snake, or a bird, or a lion . I’m not sure that the police force would have chained the snake or lion pending when the case was sorted. Or was it because the activity of stealing itself leaves him with no other animal option but a goat?
3. What happened to his clothes? Did he turn into a goat with shirt and trouser? Or clothed human being equals naked animal? Did the color of his striped shirt influence the goats color? What about the wallet in his pocket or his ID, did it disappear into the goats guts?
4. How is the goat responding to interrogation? Is the goat the same sex with the man, or is it a female goat? Or did the guy perform two surgery’s at once, a sex transplant and a biological mutation? Cos that goat sure looks like a gentle lady. The goat was caught at night by a vigilance/vigilante group right? Did the man turn into a goat, or was he turned into a goat?
Just in case you didn’t get it, I think it’s ridiculous to publish this kind of story and find the security agents talking with so much conviction about what they were not eyewitnesses to. Did the vigilance group apprehend what they found? Most likely. Can someone come tomorrow, kill his wife, family or friend and tell the police that they turned into frogs, dogs or cats?
I think the news articles about the goat were hilarious and entertaining, but I find it amazing that the goat was actually paraded as a robbery suspect in the presence of journalists and indeed the public. I think we are setting ourselves up for a time when dogs can be called monkeys for us.
Hmm,
I think I can only answer all these many questions with another related programme on air sometimes ago called “NKAN BE”
People can go to extremes to get their so called “power”. May be I should add that why can’t this person turn to a bird or hind to escape arrest? It only shows how undependable and unreliable other sources of protection and defence can be. Only the name of the Lord is a strong tower…Proverbs 18:10
Turning to a goat is not a good idea as far as I’m concerned.
However, the lingering question is “Why steal in the first instance?
My brother, there many questions to ask.
The post is funny and thought-provoking. May God enlighten the eyes of our people. Happy Sunday!
Did u say they were two robbers and one escaped? its very simple, since on escaped the other must be used as the SCAPE GOAT, the guy turned into the goat, okpari.
Since i was not there when he turned into a goat, they should just sacrifice the goat to the gods, after all the gods are not to blame.
Irrespective of whether this guy steals or not, WHY parade a goat on the TV when they are not sure of their facts.
Nigerian police in most cases have always speculate. Its one of the police force that i know of that uses torture to get information from individuals when they could have done it some other dignifying way according to law.
They are the most incompetent institution (asides NEPA) that i have grown up to be used to who some of their officers (somewhere in Osun state division – Wont say it) does not know that all Banks now have security cameras that monitors day to day activity.
Irrespective, there are still some few individuals (hardworking & intelligent) who do not have characteristics of incompetence, therefore i am not generalising.
It further shows that Nigerian Police do really have incompetent people working on their public relations. I mean, can a sane institution put up a goat on TV as a robbery suspect?
If a young man in my street does that, i’d think he’d be tied up and sent to a pychiatric hospital….
Useless set of policemen…
I rarely get amused by articles, but honestly, Deolu you’ve really made me “crack my ribs” in-between the 5th and 8th paragraph of this article……Well the so-called “Magician” could have done better things…..take a tour to planet mars with his magical powers….and….
If the police lost the criminals on the run for whatever excuse, lack of equipments, cctv, cars, gadgets, incompetence etc…, the best way to avoid the shame in such a superstitious society is to use a story that the society will find easy to believe. Until we employ technology appropriately, we may never have the luxury of seeing this kind of transformation(human-animal) on the screen…….lol.
I just like the title you gave this article, i remember all those stories of tales by moonlight. This is another tale, over time in life like many of us, i’ve heard stories like this and i’ve also been priviledge to see human being changing to snake while i was living in my village, a magician came to demonstrate this but maybe like its often said they succeeded in making my eyes blurred to think so… lol
As for the police parading this story and goat with conviction, it’s really laughable, i can help keep but laughing….. Na wah for Nigeria Police oh.
@Deolu, I remember my Tales by Moonlight days too with quiet smiles. It is sad that as a society we are still stuck in a childlike state of mind- what a waste!
Burke once said “Superstition is the Religion of feeble minds”, while Goethe called it “the Peotry of life” whichever way you see it though. It is a sad commentary on our society’s development that we give issues like this such prominence.
you said security agents spoke with convictions? what else can we expect from a society that disdains it’s intellectual base while glorifying the vulgar acquisition of wealth and power.
Deolu, as a society, we are all guilty and that goat looks innocent to me. I will gladly defend it in court.
because it’s 4pm on a bright sunday afternoon in the 80′s, and it’s Tales by Moonlight time all over again.
orisirisi.
This is the most hilarious stuff I’ve read on deolu’s blog so far. This is the kind of things you usually read of in “Alaroye”. This story, I believe will dwarf the ones in Tales by the moonlight.
I mean, I am really interested in the knowing how the goat is responding to the interrogation! LOL!
And even more funny is the fact that the chief spokes person for the Kwara state command of the Nigerian Police could be making this kind of statements. Mr Tunde Mohammed should really be ashamed of this.
This is one of the reasons the change we seek and are prepared to bring, should touch all fabrics of our society. From the politicians, to the police and other areas of our society.
I pray we would be able to learn the lessons and move on from this.
Nah wah for me too, please my people excuse my previous error, i mearnt to write ” i can’t help but keep laughing….”
WOW! Hilarious, Sidesplitting! LOL!
LOL! LOL! LOL!
when i was in school those days, we used to joke that
faith comes by hearing the word of God,
fear comes by watching iriri aye/nnkan mbe.
and thanks for the tales by moonlight too, they were our character moulders of our times..today/
na tele tubbies and barnie
Lol! thanks
Wow!!! I like you, would really want to see this kind of thing happen in my very eyes. May be the police are trying to tell us about the itonic or figurative scape. I sure hope the goat goes back to being human.
This is a funny story sha o.
Eran iya osogbo….maybe the police can begin to cut the goat’s throat little by little. Peradventure, the goat will shout out “Please wait, wait, I will confess……i’m the thief! I’m actually a man….please let me change back! Don’t kill me.LOL!!!
.if the police can’t catch robbers alive or dead, then they should let all animals go free
OMG…This is hilarious.
@Solomon, i like your judgement…
@All…Come to think of it, wonders shall never end o. What a news to make Guinness book of records for 2009 as the first human being turned goat. Or whatelse can i say. I have followed the news on facebook but making it to the TV and newspapers is something else..
No wonder Mr. Deolu concluded that “Just in case you didn’t get it, I think it’s ridiculous to publish this kind of story and find the security agents talking with so much conviction about what they were not eyewitnesses to. Did the vigilance group apprehend what they found? Most likely. Can someone come tomorrow, kill his wife, family or friend and tell the police that they turned into frogs, dogs or cats?
I think the news articles about the goat were hilarious and entertaining, but I find it amazing that the goat was actually paraded as a robbery suspect in the presence of journalists and indeed the public. I think we are setting ourselves up for a time when dogs can be called monkeys for us”
It is ridiculous…Next news plssss!!!
I was sent this by my brother-in love and i found the story totally hilarious!and my reply to him was this can only happen in Naija!Lol, Tales by moon light indeed! I have always seen the police force as one force that needs total overhauling, as the men there are so illitrate and backward in their thinking that even the most illitrate person will call them ILLITRATES! How on earth can you parade a goat as a suspect? if he had said he caught the goat inside the mazda, eating up papers and stuff in the car, it would have been pardonable!lol and we will all take it as signs of the economic times, say people don chop all the grasses finish, so goat turn to car to chop anything chopable!lol, but to have a press conference and display that for the entire world to read/see spells “wahala” for the police force! that kwara P.R.O man deserves to be fired and escorted straight to a psycho home to be tested if he is okay!, His mates are using scientific means and high tech stuff to investigate things…he is probably thinking of getting a babalawo/native doctor to help them in further investigations and the goat may end up in a pot of pepper soup eventually if confirmed a real goat!lol!sad!!! Deolu, my bro, thanks for making me laugh and sober at the same time!
http://www.bridgetelesinspeaks.blogspot.com
I really don’t know what to say o. Nkan nbe abi. I really don’t worry myself about this kind of thungs because there is much ground to cover, more love of Christ to share, more exploit to make in the various fields of human indevour, including personal development, peak performance, money making and even medical care.
Nkan nbe!
This is very amusing.
This is saddening, very saddening, for the police to be telling such a story…
It’s really funny u know. Anything sure can happen! A black man became the presedent of America…An armed robber turn to a goat or whatever. I think people are sure experimenting change. But I’ll rather be proud of the former.
Amazing transmogrification! A crime scene becomes a circus of magical arts.
Wonder how great this suspect would have achieved if he had chosen to put his ‘reverse engineering concept’ into some other positive use.
I love the creative genius of Solomon whose called him/it a SCAPE GOAT.
This story might some day make best-seller comics.
Hilariuos, Incredible, Scarcastic….a film maker should leverage on this kwara miracle. The goat should be auctioned on ebay. lol
I caught the story on newsline too and i found it hilarious. Well, the vigilante want d sheep charged to court…can d sheep be found guilty and convicted? And that Police PRO who was speaking english like he was eating wateryam… really nkan be…
Wish the old tales by moonlight could come back. the one they have now is not as good.
Oh my God this is what they call a scape goat. Tales by moonlight indeed. Are they serious at all?
Oh my God! this is what they call a scape goat, haha hilarious. Tales by moonlight indeed. Are they serious at all?
This is hillarious.On what basis are their facts on?
I think the policemen should really get a grip. Why would journalist give such news that much publicity?This beats me.
I thought it turned into a ram and not a goat?
What I saw on TV last night looked more like a ram to me ….
I will like to buy it for a million dollars ….. any other offer?
Hey!
Wonders shall never end.
@ Seun
Thats quite a contrast there!
This is meant to be funny but it isn’t. How in heavens did the Police not think of the outcome of their actions before displaying such heights of stupidity. If it where true, who would believe. i think the minimum academic level for recruiting into the force should be be B.sc or equivalent. They have certainly shown what good comedians they can make of a job that is dead serious
NIGERIA IS A COUNTRY TO MAKE MONEY PLENTIFULL BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL BEHIND:
This is meant to be funny but it isn’t. How in heavens name did the Police not think of the outcome of their actions before displaying such heights of stupidity. If it where true, who would believe. i think the minimum academic level for recruiting into the force should be be B.sc or equivalent. They have certainly shown what good comedians they can make of a job that is supposed to be dead serious.
Overzealous policemen! Even if it this has been true, is it not possible to treat this as private instead of increasing Nigeria foolishness in the mind of the western world? God will help us in knowing what to promote and what not to. How many great and important stories, investigations are still under cover. Why is this one a great news to our men in the black. Immediately the news came up, a friend in London email it to me and several people. Where is Nigeria image going?
Overzealous policemen! Even if this has been true, is it not possible to treat this as private instead of increasing Nigeria foolishness in the mind of the western world? God will help us in knowing what to promote and what not to. How many great and important stories, investigations are still under cover. Why is this one a great news to our men in the black. Immediately the news came up, a friend in London email it to me and several people. Where is Nigeria image going?
On a lighter mood! though if i were the one with shape-shifting abilities i think i would rather turn into something small and difficult to find like Cockroach or Ant.
Stupid Goat caught by a more stupid police…. lol
Thanks Dee
Well, Naija police at it again, I heard this first on Cool Fm and i thought we are at the point where we have to send most of our policemen to psychiatric home for proper check-up. this is ridiculous and shameful to this country as a whole. I have said it to some people. Police work should be for Graduates with at least 2.2 or Lower credit at least. Not for secondary school dropouts or for people who couldnt make more than 3 credits even at two sittings for WAEC. then, we will have sane people enforcing laws and we can get out of this doldrums we have found ourselves.
What am looking at there does not look like a goat. Its more or less a sheep! But if that Sheep was paraded as a goat, then our reporters, the Police and the so called vigilante must be seriously sick! Even though the story sounds incredulous, i don’t doubt it happening.
infact! i just don’t know how to start. hmmm…. well let me ask myself a few questions here and provide answers.
1. is this possible that this this whole scenerio could be true? maybe. if i want to go by past speculations, then i would say yes.
2. but should the police force make a comical show of this? absolutely not! i think the force should be guided more by rational thinking rather than speculating and making a show of itself.
i don’t think this deserves much comment though, other than letting us sit back and watch the drama as it unfolds. i really want to see the end of this.
no be the police sef na our society.no be “pastor” for akwa ibom talk say 2.3 million witches dey the state i wonder wetin the population of the state be sef….aint saying some kinda bizzare things dont happen but we too superstitious for this country…small time dem go parade hen for bank robbery…na for naija this kain things dey happen,innit?
That was horrendous,Deolu!
Oga o where we dey go for this Naija. Very soon it will be part of presidential budget to build prison facilities for animals.
God help us!!!
Alert: Saraki says Goat Robbery Suspect is a Hoax
The Kwara State Government on Monday appealed to the people of the state, especially the residents of Ilorin, to disregard the alleged mysterious goat accused of being a man who had attempted to snatch a car.Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Mas’ud Adebimpe, the appeal becomes necessary because of the factions of rumour making the round concerning the mysterious goat being paraded as an armed robbery suspect.
It said intelligence reports reaching Governor Bukola Saraki had no confirmatory evidence of such occurrence. “There is no iota of truth in the alleged rumour as officers of the state police command are already investigating the matter,” the statement said. Saraki advised the citizens to go about their lawful businesses.
Really? Who are we deceiving?
Now we are talking…Let’s forget about this eran iya oshogbo or should i say tales by daylights
Next news please!!!
This the funniest article i have read in recent times.
Hey guys…we be naija nw and not europeans…
It is likely that this particular case is false but for naija i believe it is 100% possible.
No be dis naija wey we dey wey Bode thomas was barking like a dog before he died… abeg jazz dey…. make dem hold dt goat well well and if it does not change back to human. make dem cook am and chop am….
however, i am embarrassd that this can be admitted officially though.
LOL!
It’s really absurd!!!
.. i have seen this news before, but reading it for the first time on this site. You have made me laugh my heart out. I can’t hear but laugh. it was very funny, really hilarious. Sure some bizarre things do happen here in Nigeria but we should be very careful how we report them, we have an international audience listening to our scrap.
On a lighter mode, i would have suggested that the goat be remanded in the zoo as specie specimen while it serve as life imprisonment for the said suspect turned goat.
Deolu this is really tales by moon or sunlight? which one.
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