Lion attack: NUSA chairman narrates how Lion killed OAU Zookeeper

The zoological garden at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, has been temporarily closed after a sad incident (Lion attack) occurred on Monday.

TopNaija gathered that a veterinary technologist named Olabode Olawuyi tragically lost his life due to an attack by a nine-year-old lion.

Following the tragic incident, the university promptly responded by focusing on safety measures and launching a thorough investigation into the events surrounding the attack.

Wole Odewumi, the Chairman of the National Association of Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU) at the OAU branch, confirmed the closure to media outlet, The Punch on Tuesday.

He described how the incident unfolded when Olawuyi courageously intervened to save a woman who was being attack ed by the lion in the OAU Zoological garden.

Despite his best attempts, the lion viciously attacked Mr. Olawuyi, resulting in his unfortunate passing.

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.”

Odewumi also said a mourning procession was held on the campus on Tuesday in honour of Olawuyi while the management of the university met 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.”