It has been confirmed that one other staff member was left injured during the lion attack at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Zoological Garden, Ile-Ife.
News About Nigeria reported that a veterinary technologist, Olabode Olawuyi, lost his life after being attacked by a lion on Monday.
The National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Universities (NANTSU) at OAU expressed condolences to the bereaved family and pledged to engage with the university’s management on the matter.
Mr. Wole Odewumi, the NANTSU OAU branch chairman, provided preliminary information on the incident, stating that specific details about how the tragic event unfolded were not yet available.
However, he confirmed that another staff member working in the garden suffered injuries during the incident.
While there were speculations that the deceased had accidentally left the lion’s cage open while attempting to feed the animal, Odewumi said he could not confirm these claims.
He said, “A member of the association also working at the garden reported to me that the incident happened while the deceased was trying to feed the animal. Immediately I heard of it, I contacted other people on campus. It is true that another staff also got injured.
“The injured staff could have sustained the injury when those at the scene were running helter-skelter in panic during the incident. As a union leader, I have to get the facts around the incident. I condole the family. The person may be the breadwinner of his family.”
He assured that the union’s leadership would investigate the incident and meet with the university management to discuss the welfare of Olawuyi’s family.
In a statement, Odewumi expressed his condolences and described Olawuyi’s death as a significant loss to the entire OAU community.
The tragic incident has left the university community in mourning.
