Tragedy Strikes at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library: Lion Handler Fatally Attacked
In a shocking incident, a 35-year-old handler at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Zoological garden in Abeokuta, Nigeria, has lost his life after being attacked by a male lion. The incident occurred on Saturday evening at around 7:40 p.m.
According to Omolola Odutola, the spokesperson for the Police Command in Ogun, the handler, Babaji Daule from Bauchi State, was found to have 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 the handler, resulting in fatal injuries to the handler’s neck and eventual death,” Odutola stated. The police spokesperson also added that the victim’s body was removed and taken to the mortuary at Ijaye General Hospital in Abeokuta.
To subdue the wild lion, which had grasped the handler, the police were forced to shoot the animal. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, with many mourning the loss of the handler.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with authorities seeking to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy. As the community comes to terms with this senseless loss, our thoughts are with the family and friends of the handler who lost his life in the line of duty.