Lagos to enact law criminalising keeping dangerous animals as pets

The Lagos State Government (LASG) is to enact a law
criminalising the keeping of dangerous animals as pets by
individuals in the state.

This follows the capture and tranquilizing of a two-year-old
lion kept in a residential property in Ikoyi, Lagos on Nov. 18.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Moyosore
Onigbanjo (SAN) the Lagos State Attorney-General (AG) and
Commissioner for Justice made the disclosure at a media parley held
at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos on
Tuesday.

Onigbanjo said that a Dangerous Animals Bill which will penalise
offenders and protect members of the public from dangerous animals,
was being drafted.

He said it would soon be submitted to the Lagos State House of
Assembly to be passed into law.

“The bill is to take care of scenarios like what happened at
Ikoyi where an individual kept a lion in his home.

“It will also cover situations where individuals keep dangerous
pets and dogs which cause harm to members of the public,” he
said.

The AG said that in order to ensure effective dispensation of
justice in Lagos, laws such as the Administration of Criminal
Justice Law (ACJL) would be amended.

He said new laws such as the Victims Rights Law and
Administration of Civil Justice Law were being enacted to cover
various lapses in the justice sector.

“We are to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Law
(ACJL). Since it has come into being, it has revolutionised
criminal proceedings in our state.

“The Federal Government and other states have taken off from
where we started and other states are applying the same law.

“Having operated this law for quite a while, we have seen one or
two things that we can improve on. An amendment is in the
pipeline.

“By the first quarter of next year, we shall be sending a draft
amendment Bill on the ACJL to the State House of Assembly.”

The AG said the Victims Rights Law was to protect victims and
witnesses of crimes from intimidation, harm and harassment while
the Administration of Civil Justice Law would improve civil
proceedings in the courtrooms in the state.

“We have in the pipeline our first Victims Rights Law. We have
noticed that in Nigeria, victims of crimes are not protected, the
law does not give them any cover.

“The law will spell out the rights that victims of crimes are
entitled to and the protection that the State will give them so
that the near future in Lagos State, intimidation of witnesses will
become a crime.

“The Administration of Civil Justice Law which will come in
place for the first time will help to bring our civil proceedings
and civil jurisprudence up to international best practices,” he
said.

Onigbanjo said that other new laws were being created by the
LASG and the list would soon be made public by the Ministry of
Justice.

The AG said he had mandated that every letter or petition
written to the Ministry of Justice must be responded to.

He said this was a way of effectively communicating with the
public and ensuring speedy dispensation of justice.

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