Matthew Onocheta
KEBBI, Nigeria – No fewer than 40 fishermen in Nigeria’s northern state of Kebbi have jointly killed a mother hippopotamus that killed one Malam Usman Maigadi, a guard at Orchard Farm owned by the Emir of Yauri, Dr Muhammad Zayyanu-Abdullahi, on September 22.
The fishermen armed with bows and arrows, reportedly killed the hippopotamus in Yauri River, Yauri Local Government Area of the state on Monday.
The Chairman of Yauri LGA, Alhaji Abubakar Shu’aibu, said the animal was killed by the fishermen following a directive from the Emir of Yauri.
“If you could recall, the hippo killed Yauri Emir’s guard and another farmer in September,” Shu’aibu said.
“We can’t keep an animal that is killing people anyhow, and all the people it killed were not after the animal, they were doing their own fishing business.
“After they killed it, they transported it on a big canoe from the river to the palace of the District Head of Gungu, Alhaji Kasimu Aliyu, amidst applause by a crowd of people.
“The brave fishermen subsequently butchered the animal into pieces and shared the meat with the people.”