Stray Nigerian cows face arrest

A number of accidents have been caused by stray cattle

Officials in a northern Nigerian city have announced they will arrest stray animals after a number of accidents.

The animals' owners will also be fined by the mobile squad set up in Kaduna.

A Kaduna official said any owners who did not pay the fine will see their beast auctioned off. The fine for a stray cow will be $15.

In July, an Air France plane ploughed into a herd of cows as it landed. In May, 25 people died when a lorry swerved to miss a cow and hit a bus.

Kaduna state's environment commissioner, Mohammed Musa Baba, told AFP news agency that strays were "a serious menace and a health hazard".

"The state government has established mobile courts, backed by law, to arrest and detain any animals seen roaming the streets, especially cows, sheep and goats, which move in herds," he said.