…to prosecute Indian owner
Joshua Bassey
Operatives of the Lagos State Task Force on Monday succeeded in evacuating a lion kept in a private residence in Victoria Island to a zoo at the Omu Resorts in Lekki area of the state.
Chairman of the task force, Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that the exercise 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.
Speaking further, Egbeyemi said that Ogunmo Bamidele, who led the medical team from UI, had to tranquilise the tiger thrice before evacuating it.
He confirmed that the task force responded to a petition from residents while investigations revealed that the lion was brought in from Cameroun by an Indian, two years ago.
“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,” Egbeyemi said.
The chairman assured residents that the owner of the lion would 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”, he stated.
The director, Veterinary Services, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Macaulay Rasheed, also advised members of the public to stop rearing wild animals at private homes in order to avoid unnecessary attack and contagious animal diseases.
