Elephant Attack: Ogun Govt Commiserates With Family Of Deceased, Calls For Calm

ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA –  The Commissioner for Forestry in Ogun State, Hon. Oludotun Taiwo FNSE has commiserated with the family of a man reportedly killed by a stray elephant at Itasin-Imobi, in the Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.

Oludotun while speaking to journalists at his office, appealed for calm among residents, assuring that the government shares in their grief during the trying time.

The Commissioner explained that the area where the incident occurred is a forest reserve designated for wildlife, but members of the public often ignore government warnings and venture too close to the area.

According to him “It’s a very sad incident. The place in question is a designated conservation area meant strictly for wildlife, especially elephants. Unfortunately, some people still go in there for illegal activities like logging. The man that died was reportedly trying to move illegal logs when the elephant attacked him.

“We’ve done a lot of sensitization in that area. We’ve erected signboards, built barriers, and even demolished illegal settlements, but people keep going back. These elephants are not aggressive by nature. They only fight back when provoked. That’s why we keep educating the public not to confront them.”

“This forest spans over 6,000 hectares. It’s not a farm settlement, and we don’t expect people to reside there. But due to human encroachment, conflicts like this sometimes happen. We sympathize with the family, and despite the hostility we met initially, we’ll still go back to condole with them and keep sensitizing the community.”

He theredore assured that the state government will take all necessary steps to prevent a recurrence, urged residents to remain vigilant and comply with rules and regulations guiding activities around forest reserves.