Residents of Makurdi, capital of Benue state yesterday panicked as a story spread that a chicken being taken to market for sale suddenly started speaking in Arabic.
Residents around the ‘A’ division police station beside Wadata Market, Makurdi fled in different directions over as news of the mystery spread.
Daily Trust gathered that the incident happened at about 12 noon around the Wadata central mosque premises located few meters from the divisional police station.
A woman in the area who gave her name as Aishetu said “I have not seen the chicken myself,” she confessed. “I heard that police have taken it into custody and that is why the station is so crowded. Everybody wants to see it talk,” she said.
The incident initially created a tense atmosphere for motorists plying the route as they hurriedly reversed to the opposite direction while buyers and sellers in the market ran helter-skelter for safety fearing it was a renewed hostility between farmers and herdsmen who ceased fire barely a week ago.
Our correspondent who observed the confusion that ensued from the Daily Trust Makurdi office near the police station reports that the policemen threw canister to disperse the crowd who returned few minutes later determined to see for themselves.
However, spokesman of the police, SP. Daniel Ezeala dismissed the claims saying “How can a fowl talk’” he queried. “There is nothing like that because it is unnatural for animals to talk. It is the handiwork of mischief makers who wanted to displace traders and loot their wares in the market,” Ezeala said.
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