A lion has killed its handler, Babaji Daule at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to Vanguard, the incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday (Saturday).
It was learnt that that the lion attacked the 35-year-old Bauchi State-born indigene at the Zoological Garden of the OOPL.
The incident, which was reported at about 7:40am by the chief security officer of the facility, was said to have occurred when the trained handler of the male lion carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade of the lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal.
“This negligence allowed the lion to escape and attack him, resulting in fatal injuries to the handler’s neck and eventual death.
“The victim’s body was removed and taken to the mortuary at the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, while the wild lion was shot to release its grip on the handler,” a source said.
The spokesperson for the State command of the Nigeria Police, Ms Omolola Odutola, confirmed the sad incident.
“A deadly incident involving a wild animal attack has been reported by the Area Commander metro on September 28, 2024, at about 7:40 hrs by the Chief Security Officer of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, who informed the divisional police officer that a 35-year-old man named Babaji Daule from Bauchi State, who is a trained handler of a male lion at the Zoological Garden in OOPL Abeokuta, tragically lost his life”.
“It was discovered that the lion handler carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade the of lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal”.
“This negligence allowed the lion to escape and attack the handler, resulting in fatal injuries to the handler’s neck and eventual death,” she said in a statement.
