Lion found at residential building evacuated

Officials of the Lagos State Task Force, in conjunction with Veterinary doctors from the Lagos Ministry of Agriculture, have succeeded in moving the lion found at a private home around Victoria Island to a zoo in Omu Resorts, Lekki.

There had been palpable fear at No. 229, Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island area on Sunday, following the discovery of a two-year-old lion in one of the apartments by some residents.

New Telegraph gathered that an Indian, whose identity could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, owned the lion. The Indian national allegedly told the property owner that he wanted to rent the apartment for his own use, but never lived there. Instead, he rented the apartment for his lion.

Dissatisfied with cohabiting with lion, residents of the building petitioned the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, calling for the immediate evacuation of the lion for their safety.

Taskforce Chairman, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Olayinka Egbeyemi, confirmed that the evacuation of the lion was carried out in conjunction with officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and medical personnel from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan.

Egbeyemi said that Dr. Ogunmo Bamidele, who led the medical team from the University of Ibadan, had to tranquilize the lion thrice before embarking on evacuation.

He confirmed that the Agency responded to a petition from residents, while investigations revealed that the lion was brought in from Cameroun by the Indian two years ago.

He added: “Immediately I got the petition, I deployed my officers to the house at No. 229, Muri-Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where they kept a close watch for more than 72 hours before the lion was finally removed today.”

The Chairman assured residents that the owner of the lion will face the full wrath of the law, warning residents to abstain from harbouring wild animals that endanger the lives of others.

“In as much as we appreciate residents around Victoria Island for their quick action, we urge every member of the public to be observant in their immediate environment and report any strange or unusual activity to appropriate government authority for prompt action,” stated Egbeyemi.

The Director of Veterinary Services, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Macaulay Rasheed, also advised members of the public to stop rearing wild animals in private homes in order to avoid unnecessary attacks and contagious diseases.