Police in Nigeria are holding a goat on suspicion of attempted armed robbery.
In a front-page article on Friday, the Vanguard newspaper said that two men tried to steal a Mazda in Kwara state last week.
As vigilantes cornered him, one suspect transformed himself into a goat, the paper quoted police spokesman Tunde Mohammed as saying.
The other suspect escaped.
"The group of vigilante men came to report that while they were on patrol they saw some hoodlums attempting to rob a car. They pursued them. However one of them escaped while the other turned into a goat," Mr Mohammed told Reuters by telephone.
"We cannot confirm the story, but the goat is in our custody. We cannot base our information on something mystical. It is something that has to be proved scientifically, that a human being turned into a goat," he said.
The newspaper reported that police paraded the goat before journalists, and published a picture of the animal.
Belief in black magic is widespread in Nigeria, particularly in far-flung rural areas.
Residents came to the police station to see the goat, photographed in one national newspaper on its knees next to a pile of straw.
everybody know say the thief turn to goat but science has turned the police to illiterates...............so better live the goat or kill am, if the owner no come claim am....but wait oh..fear no go let the owner come claim the goat self..............u trust police even say u say u see thief for area u don turn suspect so wetin we go do now
yes oh... i wonder who your enemies are... me i was only joking with henriatha oh... did i call her baby? what i meant to type was "henri" you know they both kinda sound alike so i mistyped...
no mind this tout wey you dey call your boyfriend.. im dey threaten my life... <!-- s:x --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_mad.gif" alt=":x" title="Mad" /><!-- s:x -->
<!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> <!-- s:lol: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing" /><!-- s:lol: --> im in short of words
Stealing people's girlfriend stylishly amounts to emotional torture and will never be condoned on this forum. <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->