Nigerian Were-Goat
Posted by: Loren Coleman on January 23rd, 2009
The BBC News published the above photo in conjunction with their discussion of the alleged suspect. Cryptomundo cannot, however, verify this is the correct suspect.
One of Nigeria’s biggest daily newspapers reported that Lagos, Nigerian police implicated a goat in an attempted automobile theft. In a front-page article on January 23, 2009, the Vanguard reported that two men tried to steal a car two days earlier in Kwara State, with one suspect transforming himself into a goat as vigilantes cornered him.
Vigilantes took the animal to the police saying it was an armed robber who had used black magic to transform himself into a goat to escape arrest after trying to steal a Mazda 323.
Police spokesman Tunde Mohammed said that while one suspect escaped, the other transformed into a goat as he was about to be apprehended. Later, the police paraded the goat before journalists, and published a picture of the animal.
“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,” Kwara state police spokesman Tunde Mohammed said.
“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.
Belief in black magic is widespread in Nigeria.
Residents came to the police station to see the goat, photographed in one national newspaper on its knees next to a pile of straw.
Thanks to Jeff Belanger for an initial tip on this one.
This post was written by
Loren Coleman no longer writes for Cryptomundo. His archived posts remain here at Cryptomundo.
Well, at least they kept an open mind.
Greetings all!
I don’t think he did it. ((Brace yourselves)) I think what we have here is just a scape goat. Not an escape goat. Besides, if someone was going to turn into an animal to get away with a crime, they’d turn into a bird! I can see it now “We can get the truth out of him. Build a big fire, hang him over it and rotate him until he spills the truth! And baste him every half hour.”
Well, I do remember a story from Cairo a couple years ago about a goat that pushed a guy off his roof to his death because he was going to kill the goat, so maybe there is something to these African goats?
People transforming or shapeshifting into animals has been going on for ages, at least in lore. Never seen it myself, but it is present in most cultures in some form or another.
I would be interested to read on the lore and history of shapeshifters, to see if there are common threads among different cultures. It definitely seems to be a collective story/idea/mythology among most peoples and cultures at some point during history.
As for the robber, it appears they got his goat.
The Nigerian Were Goat was arrested and arraigned for trial in Lagos. In a moment, the results of that trial.
On January 24, 2009 the Were Goat was tried in Superior Court of Lagos, Nigeria and found guilty of violating the Nigerian penal code 208-A, grand theft auto and 121-C, shape-shifting without a license. The Were Goat was sentenced to death by slow roasting on a spit. The sentence was carried out immediately and the entire Lagos police force enjoyed an afternoon barbecue.
Now I know why those Nigerian spammers are able to get away with murder.
I have heard an eyewitness account from a family friend of a man in West Africa being turned into a hyena.
It’s Ok to do some joking here—but who knows? Interesting…
Maybe the 2 Georgia buffoons should have pulled their little stunt in Nigeria, they could have claimed that the sasquatch carcass did some shape-shifting and cleverly shifted its form to a rubber suit to avoid species identification. Then afterwards ole Matt Whitton, the now EX-Police officer, could have joined their police force and probably would have became police chief in Nigeria, and they could make Biscardi their Mayor. I could just imagine Tom Biscardi being mayor in a place like Nigeria where they have such belief systems, just imagine the possibilities!!!! LOL.
He’s cornered by a group of vigilantes and turns himeslf into a goat!?If I were the criminal I’m thinking I would have learned the spell to turn myself into a rhinoceros!
Mr. Garrison would want to adopt this goat to be Mr. Hand’s brother.