By Sunday Apah
The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the tragic death of a 35-year-old zoo employee, Babaji Daule, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, following a lion attack on Saturday.
Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the police, provided details in a statement released to the press.
Daule, originally from Bauchi State, was reportedly careless in securing the lion’s enclosure before attempting to feed the animal.
This oversight allowed the lion to escape and fatally attack him, inflicting severe injuries to his neck.
Authorities have since transported Daule’s body to the mortuary at Ijaye General Hospital.
In a subsequent effort to prevent further harm, the lion was shot by park personnel.
The incident was reported by the Area Commander Metro on September 28, 2024, at approximately 7:40 AM,” Odutola explained.
The Chief Security Officer of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library informed the Divisional Police Officer about the loss of Babaji Daule, a trained lion handler working at the zoo.
The police spokesperson elaborated that the incident stemmed from Daule’s failure to properly secure the enclosure before feeding the lion, resulting in the tragic attack.
In a statement released by the zoo’s management, they noted that the incident occurred after park hours when some late-arriving guests requested a demonstration of the lion feeding routine.
Feeling confident, the zookeeper left the safety gate open while feeding the animal, which led to the fatal attack.
To prevent further desecration of the body, park personnel acted quickly and euthanized the lion.
The management emphasized that this incident deviated from the park’s standard feeding procedures and has initiated an internal investigation, which has been reported to the police for further inquiry.
