It was a tragic weekend for the family of 35-year-old Babaji Daule, a lion handler at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as he was tragically mauled to death by the former president’s lion.
The Ogun State Police, which confirmed the incident, blamed Babaji for his tragic end, stating that his carelessness was to blame.
Olusegun Obasanjo, former military head of state and President
The mourning family confirmed that Babaji’s remains was taken to the mortuary at Ijaye General Hospital.
Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, who signed a press release made available to newsmen on Sunday, said Babaji allegedly failed to properly secure the locks and barricades of the lion’s enclosure before attempting to feed the animal.
“This allowed the lion to escape and attack Daule, fatally wounding him”, he said.
“A deadly incident involving a wild animal attack was reported by the Area Commander metro. On September 28, 2024, at around 7:40 a.m., the Chief Security Officer of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library notified the divisional police officer that a 35-year-old man named Babaji Daule from Bauchi State, who was a trained handler of a male lion at the Zoological Garden in OOPL Abeokuta, tragically lost his life.
“It was discovered that the handler had carelessly neglected to secure the locks and barricade the lion’s enclosure before approaching to feed the animal. This lapse allowed the lion to escape and fatally attack the handler by inflicting severe injuries to his neck.”
Daule’s body was taken to the Ijaye General Hospital mortuary, and the lion had to be shot in order to release its grip on the victim.
The Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, a major legacy of Nigeria’s former president and global statesman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, houses a zoo where the incident occurred.
The library was a subject of controversy at the tail of the former president’s 2nd tenure in 2007, with many state governors and donors alleging that they were coerced by Obasanjo to bountifully donate towards the library.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s tragic incident occurred after a similar incident in February, when a veterinary technologist at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Zoo in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Olabode Olawuyi, was killed by a lion.
