Residents of Ibadan, Oyo State capital, especially those living around, University of Ibadan (UIAgbowo, Bodija, Sango and environs ran helter-skelter for better part of Saturday night and Sunday morning over rumoured escape of two lions from the Zoological Garden of the University of Ibadan. (UI)
The rumour spread like wildfire that one person was killed by the lions while two workers at the zoo were seriously wounded, following attack by the animals.
Businessmen and women around the Agbowo Shopping Complex, opposite the university main gate and residents of the area were forced to close their shops and houses.
It was rumoured that a lecturer to the Anthropology alerted security operatives in the institution to having seen the two lions roaming and looking for whom to devour at Tech Road, close to the zoo.
Many people sent text messages or made frantic telephone calls to their loved ones in other parts of the city to alert them not to fall prey to the lions and possibly avoid passing through Sango-UI, Ojoo road.
It was also gathered that a Porter at the zoo, who was supposed to be on night duty on Saturday, after being warned by his relation was so scared that he initially made up his mind not to stay for the night shift.
But the institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mrs Joke Akinpelu, dismissed the rumour, saying: “My brother, the news is mere rumour. It is a wild rumour. There is nothing like that here. Some people just like causing unnecessary confusion”.
She added that immediately she got the news, efforts were made to contact the Director of the Zoo, who later confirmed to us that the news was false.
She said: “The university has six lions and the six are intact in their cages as I am speaking to you now. No lion escaped and nobody was injured or killed. When we heard the rumour, we quickly sent news item to the state broadcasting television station and it was being relayed.”
“We hereby call on the general public to go about their normal duty without any fear of attack from any imaginary lion. The rumour is not true.”
A visit to the Zik and Balewa Halls, the two hostels sharing boundary with the Zoological Garden, revealed yesterday that the news was indeed a rumour as the students denied seeing any lion.
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