A resident of Kano State who owns a chicken was court-ordered to kill his cockerel by Friday following a complaint from a neighbor that the rooster’s loud crows often interrupted his sleep.
The Magistrate of the Upper Sharia Court, Halima Wali, heard the case of the neighbor who accused Malam Yusuf of ‘disturbing the peace of the neighborhood’ with his chicken.
The loud crows of the chicken reportedly keep Malam’s neighbors up all through the night, causing a lack of rest and sleep deprivation among the neighbors.
On Tuesday, the Court declared the cockerel a nuisance, ordering Yusuf to take action by killing the chicken to prevent further disturbance of his neighbors’ peaceful nights.
However, Yusuf begged the court to allow him to keep the chicken until Good Friday, which is when he intended to slaughter the animal and celebrate with his family.
In an act of mercy, the judge agreed to Yusuf but warned him to ensure the chicken does not wake or disturb any of his neighbors as it roams and to complete the task of slaughtering the animal on Friday as promised.
As the news of the cockerel’s stay of execution, until Good Friday circulated, residents of Kano took to social media to discuss the case.
Some people felt that the court’s judgment was too harsh since Yusuf’s neighbors could use earplugs to block out the sound of the chicken’s crows, while others felt that the order was justified since sleep deprivation poses a threat to the mental and physical health of the neighborhood’s inhabitants.
This isn’t the first time a noise-making animal was brought before the Sharia Court in Kano.
In the past, the court had ordered the slaughter of goats, rams, and cows whose loud noises disrupted the peace of the community.
The Sharia court in Kano has jurisdiction over matters affecting Muslims and provides a forum for residents to voice their grievances and resolve their disputes through Islamic law.
