Friday, March 29, 2024

Rampaging python killed by estate residents

  • ‘It’s crime against nature’

For several months, a 16-foot python became a terror to residents of Bucknor Okoye Street, Jakande Estate in Isolo area of Lagos State. The fear of the rampaging python, which always feasted on domestic animals of the residents of the area, became the beginning of wisdom for both residents and visitors to the area, to the extent that the Community Development Association of Bucknor Okoye Street had to restrict movement in the area from 11 pm daily.
It was therefore a big relief when the python that had not only cohabited with but terrorised the residents of the area finally met its waterloo.
The python, which measured more than 16 feet long, was eventually killed by the residents in the area, after it sneaked into a resident’s house and swallowed two goats.
The Point gathered from residents of the area that the snake had been a big threat to the residents, as it was often spotted at a canal in the area, where it usually invaded the area to feed on domestic animals.
One of the residents, who simply identified himself as Jamiu Oyetola, said, “We were all amazed at the snake when it was killed. At first when the alarm was raised over it in the house where it was killed, we couldn’t go there, because we know the implications, but thank God that it had already swallowed two goats and that incapacitated it, which made it easier for the people to overcome and kill it.
Recounting how the dreadful animal was spotted at 23, Bucknor Okoye Street, before it was killed, Oyetola explained that the creature was spotted by a woman, who met the snake in her goat house, when she was going to feed them.

“They shouldn’t have killed the snake when they saw it…that snake, if caught alive, is worth N200,000. And for killing it, they have committed a crime against nature”

“A woman in the house where it was killed just came out in the morning to feed her goats, as she was about to enter the goat house, she saw the big python on the floor. The python could not move again, after it had swallowed two of her goats. The woman ran out and alerted the neighbours. All the people in the neighbourhood came and at the end, they took the advantage of the fact that it had swallowed two goats and was incapacitated and killed it,” he said.
Another source also told The Point that the threat created by the python recently made the Community Development Association to caution movement of people in the area after 11 pm on daily basis.
“Before it was killed, we were all terrified in this area to the extent that our Community Development Association cautioned movement in the area once it was 11 pm, so that people will not fall victim to this creature. And this was against the background of the various reports by people that they have severally seen the snake at night while coming home from work. Apart from this, there was a time that the area was combed by some Hausa men, who were hired by some residents to fish out the snake and kill it, but all their efforts yielded nothing, because despite spending hours that fateful Saturday searching for the python, it was nowhere to be found, talk less of killing it.
“But shortly after the concerted efforts, we started hearing news about it again and we were all terrified, not until God said its end will come with the two goats it swallowed,” he said.
Meanwhile, one zoo attendant, Biola Babalola, has condemned the action of Bucknor Okoye Street residents who killed the dreadful creature.
He said their action is a crime to nature, adding that the snake should have been successfully caught and handed over to zoologists for proper care.
Babalola added that such animals, though may appear dreadful, rarely strikes human beings as it also dreads people. He also valued the creature at no less than N200,000 were it caught alive when spotted.
“They shouldn’t have killed the snake when they saw it. Instead, they should have caught it and handed it over to zoologists to take good care of it. At least that snake if caught alive, is worth N200,000. And for killing it, they have committed a crime against nature,” Babalola told The Point.

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