Police have released a woman and her vulture after the duo spent one week in police detention at the Adamawa State Command. The new police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa, DSP Sulaiman Unguroje, confirmed release of the vulture and its owner but could not give further details.

The arrest and detention of the bird stirred controversy after the police revealed that they were spending N5,000 daily for feeding of the bird. However, a police officer at the CID who spoke under anonymity revealed that the case was rejected because it was civil in nature, adding that the complainants were advised to file a civil case.

He added that the police discovered that the vulture belonged to the detained woman’s husband and that the complaint was triggered by a running tenancy issue. The immediate past police spokesman, DSP Othman Abubakar recently confirmed that the vulture arrested in Maiha area, had so far eaten meat worth N30,000 after spending six days in detention. The vulture was arrested alongside a woman that owned it after residents complained that the bird’s presence created fear in the community. Earlier, at a press briefing, the commissioner of Police, Adamu Audu Madaki, told journalists that the duo were apprehended following a formal complaint from a senior member of the community that the bird’s presence caused panic as it was considered a harbinger of impending insurgents’ attacks. Madaki said an elder in Maiha complained that a woman had brought a vulture and that the last time someone kept three vultures in Maiha, the area was invaded by insurgents in a matter of few days. The police commissioner noted that since the community seemed to be disturbed by the presence of the vulture, he advised the man to lodge a complaint with the Divisional Police Officer in Maiha which he did, leading to the eventual arrest of the woman and the vulture. He explained that the police upon receipt of such complaints must launch an investigation to ascertain the credibility of the allegation with a view to taking the necessary action to maintain peace and harmony. “So, we want to ascertain what the vulture is meant for,” said Madaki. Since the news of arrest of the woman and her vulture filtered members of public became curious with many peddling rumours that the vulture was a woman who turned to a bird in detention Maiha is one of the seven local government areas controlled by Boko Haram insurgents between 2014 and 2015 until the liberation of the territory by Nigerian military. (Daily Trust)

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