Lion kills zookeeper at Nigeria’s Obafemi Awolowo University

The university community of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, was thrown into mourning on Monday following the brutal death of Mr. Olabode Olawuyi.

A release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that Mr Olawuyi, a Veterinary Technologist, who has been in charge of the zoological garden of the university for over a decade, was attacked, Monday afternoon, by a 9 year old male lion as he fed them in their den.

DDM understands that some members of staff and students who witnessed the attack tried to rescue Olawuyi to no avail.

The management team, led by the Vice Chancellor, abruptly ended a management meeting and proceeded to the zoo.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, was informed, on arrival, by the Acting Director of the University Health and Medical Centre, Dr. Tirimisiyu Olatunji, that all first aid and medical efforts to save the life of the victim proved abortive.

The killer lion has been euthanized.

The University management has sent a delegation to the widow and children of the deceased in their Ile-Ife home.

The Vice-Chancellor has ordered an investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident.

Obafemi Awolowo University is a federal university in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.

It was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife by the regional government of Western Nigeria, which was led by Samuel Ladoke Akintola.

It was renamed “Obafemi Awolowo University” on 12 May 1987, by the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida led military administration, in honour of Obafemi Awolowo (1909–1987), the first premier of the Western Region of Nigeria, who initially thought of the idea of establishing the university.

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