Animal rights advocates and organisations have called for the arrest and investigation of Cross River-based social media content creator Richard Friday Ukpong, popularly known on Facebook as Young Rich TV, over alleged cruelty to dogs and other animals.
The calls followed videos allegedly circulated on social media in which Ukpong is accused of subjecting dogs to cruel treatment, including killing them while recording the acts for content.
According to sources who spoke on the matter, Ukpong is reportedly resident in Calabar, Cross River State, while several reactions to the videos have condemned what viewers described as disturbing and inhumane treatment of the animals.
Some of the reactions alleged that the content creator has killed several dogs in videos and claimed that he would only stop producing such content if people sent him money to support himself and his family.
The allegations have now attracted the attention of animal protection advocates locally and internationally, with calls for the Cross River State Police Command and other relevant authorities to investigate the matter.
The Animal Protection Organisation of Nigeria (APON), while reacting to one of the videos, said it had received another video that had gone viral involving a man identified as “Young Richie” or “Young Richie TV” in Calabar.
According to APON, the man allegedly claimed that poverty had pushed him into creating animal-cruelty content as a means of making money from Facebook to feed himself and his family.
APON questioned why anyone would resort to animal cruelty for financial gain when there are other legitimate ways of making a living.
The organisation also referred to a more recent video in which the man reportedly said that, following complaints over his alleged cruelty to animals, he was prepared to stop making such content and begin producing content focused on rescuing animals.
However, according to APON, he allegedly attached a condition to stopping the cruelty: that people should send him money to enable him to feed himself and his family.
APON condemned that position and argued that stopping future acts of cruelty should not erase alleged acts already committed.
The organisation said the previous alleged cruelty was reportedly carried out intentionally to generate money and therefore should still be investigated, regardless of any subsequent promise to change his content.
APON described the alleged conduct as a “heinous crime” and called for the matter to be treated seriously.
The organisation is also appealing to members of the public to share information about the videos until they reach the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State.
APON said it intends to submit an official petition to the Cross River State Police Command and copy the Inspector-General of Police and other relevant authorities, seeking investigation and prosecution if the allegations are established.
The organisation further argued that society needs to demonstrate greater empathy towards animals, stressing that compassion towards animals can also influence how people treat fellow human beings.
There is indeed a provision against animal cruelty under Nigerian law. Section 495(1) of the Criminal Code Act, under Chapter 50 on cruelty to animals, makes it an offence to cruelly beat, kick, ill-treat, torture, infuriate or terrify an animal, or to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. It also covers certain forms of poisoning, inhumane operations and animal fighting.
The law provides that a person found guilty under the provision is liable to imprisonment for six months, a fine of fifty naira, or both. Although the monetary penalty is an old statutory amount, the animal-cruelty offence itself remains expressly provided for in the Criminal Code.
Sections 496 and 497 further give courts powers, in appropriate circumstances following conviction, to order the destruction of an animal where keeping it alive would be cruel and to deprive a convicted person of ownership of an animal where there is a risk of further cruelty.
Animal welfare organisation World Animal Protection similarly identifies Section 495 of Nigeria's Criminal Code as prohibiting acts including cruel beating, ill-treatment, torture, terrifying animals and causing unnecessary suffering.
For animal rights advocates, however, the controversy goes beyond social media content. They argue that deliberately inflicting suffering or death on animals for entertainment or financial gain should not be normalised, and are demanding that the authorities take action.
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