By Michael Adesanya
The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a 35-year-old zoo worker, Babaji Daule, by a lion at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library’s zoo in Abeokuta on Saturday.
Omolola Odutola, spokesperson for the state police command, released a statement on Sunday detailing the tragic incident.
According to the statement, the lion handler, originally from Bauchi State, neglected to secure the locks and barricade of the lion’s enclosure before attempting to feed the animal.
This oversight allowed the lion to escape and attack the man, inflicting severe injuries to his neck that ultimately led to his death.
The statement reads, “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 the Chief Security Officer of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library 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
“The victim’s body was removed and taken to the mortuary at Ijaye General Hospital, while the wild lion was shot to release its grip on the handler.”
Further details surrounding the incident are expected to be released later.
