In response to the unfortunate incident on Monday, where a nine-year-old lion fatally attacked veterinary technologist Mr. Olabode Olawuyi, the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, have opted to shut down the zoological garden on the campus.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, Mr. Wole Odewumi, the Chairman of the National Association of Non-Academic Staff of Universities, OAU branch, confirmed that the university management had indeed closed the garden.
He provided further details, explaining that the veterinary technologist was attacked by the lion as he attempted to free a woman who had been the first victim of the lion’s aggression.
Odewumi said, ‘I spoke to some of his colleagues, and they told me what happened. The lion attacked a woman first. The woman is also a staff working at the zoo.’
‘The deceased intervened to free the woman from the lion. He must have assumed that the lion would recognise him. His intervention to free the woman must have infuriated the animal. The lion left the woman and attacked him squarely.’
‘After he was freed from the lion’s grip, they rushed him to the health centre on campus here. He however died before he got there. But the second person that was attacked, a woman, is still on admission receiving treatment presently.’
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Additionally, Odewumi highlighted that a mourning procession took place on the campus on Tuesday to pay tribute to Olawuyi, alongside the university management’s meeting with his family.
He said, ‘We held a mourning procession in honour of the deceased this morning and members of the management addressed us after that sober event.’
‘All unions on campus joined the procession. The management promised to take necessary action. There will be a committee that his union will also have a representative in, that will work on the issues raised. I have visited the scene. The zoo has been locked up. It is officially locked up.’
‘The management will not want anybody to go there for now. Some members of the family of the deceased were around and we handed them over to the management.’
Based on the information provided on the Curriculum Vitae of the deceased, Olawuyi, who was 59 years old and born on December 22nd, 1965, would have retired from service in 2025.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, the institution’s management explained that staff members who were present at the scene of the incident made all possible attempts to rescue the deceased. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, they were unable to intervene as the animal held him and inflicted severe injuries.
As depicted in a video recorded at the scene, a security operative employed by the school later shot and killed the lion, while the blood-soaked, mutilated remains of the late Olawuyi were laid at the entrance to the garden.