Nigerians turn to rabbits for consolation during coronavirus lockdown

Sandra Dozie has a fluffy new friend to keep her company during the long tedious hours of a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus - a four-month old rabbit called Coco.

“My family and I got bored of just being alone at home, so we wanted someone that will be there to play with and mess around with,” said Dozie, 27, as she gently stroked Coco’s white and brown fur.

Dozie, whose employer shut down a week ago due to the pandemic, was speaking on the roof terrace of her home in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital and home to 20 million people, but now the usually bustling, noisy streets below are eerily quiet.

Nigeria has reported 190 confirmed cases of the coronavirus so far, 98 of them in Lagos, where a lockdown has been declared, forcing millions to stay at home.

But the lockdown has had a silver lining for Akinjo Joshua, manager of online store Hopsville Farm, who has seen sales rocket as Nigerians seek comfort and companionship from cute, furry pets.