Police in the north-west Nigerian state of Kebbi, home to the Argungu fishing festival, have released on bail this year’s champion, arrested last week for allegedly smuggling his winning monster catch already dead into the river, a police chief said on Sunday.
The fishing champion, somewhat confusingly called Bello Argungu, was arrested on Friday on suspicions of having smuggled a dead 65kg fish into the river before the start of the picturesque festival.
He then pulled his ”catch”, which drew gasps of admiration, out of the river and walked off with prizes that included a car and air tickets.
Argungu has been stripped of his title and had his prizes confiscated, said Muktari Ibrahim, Kebbi state police Commissioner, adding that the suspect would be arraigned in court ”soon”.
The Argungu fishing festival is one of the most spectacular cultural festivals in Nigeria, a country notorious for daring email fraud schemes known as ”419” after the relevant article of the penal code. — Sapa-AFP