Panic as Lion Kills Worker in Obasanjo Library’s Zoo, Details Emerge

• A worker at the Obasanjo Presidential Library Zoological Garden, Ogun state, has been murdered by a lion
• The wild animal was said to have escaped and attacked the victim on the neck which proved fatal
• Legit.ng reports that zoo attacks in Nigeria are thankfully rare occurrences, however, occasional lapses in safety, horrific though they are, have led to some remarkable survival stories

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering metro.

Abeokuta, Ogun state - A lion at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun state, killed Babaji Daule, a 35-year-old zoo worker, on Saturday, September 28.

Omolola Odutola, the Ogun state police command's spokesperson, confirmed the sad incident on Sunday morning, September 29.

Lion kills handler in Ogun

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Odutola disclosed that the deceased, from Bauchi state, was killed after forgetting to secure the locks and barricade the lion’s enclosure before approaching the cage to feed the animal.

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 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.

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“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.”

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OAU's 9-year-old lion kills staff

In February, Legit.ng reported that a staff of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Olabode Olawuyi, was killed by a 9-year-old lion in the zoological garden of the institution.

A statement by the university's public relations officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, confirmed the incident. The statement said Olawuyi, until his death, was a veterinary technologist who had been in charge of the OAU zoological garden for over a decade.

Source: Legit.ng