5:T6bf,

Residents of Makurdi, capital of Benue State in North-Central Nigeria, 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,” reports the Abuja-based Daily Trust.

The paper said it gathered that the incident happened at about 12 noon on Wednesday around the Wadata central mosque premises located few metres from the divisional police station.

It quotes a woman in the area who gave her name as Aishetu as saying: “I have not seen the chicken myself. I heard that police have taken it into custody and that is why the station is so crowded. Everybody wants to see it talk.”

The reports says 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.

It adds that confusion ensued at the police station as policemen threw teargas 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? 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.”

•Image courtesy wikimedia.

Update news