The Ogba Zoo attack

Sunday September 24, 2017 was a tragic day in Benin, Edo State when gunmen killed three policemen attached to the Ogba Zoo and Nature Park. The gunmen also abducted the head of the zoo, Dr. Andy Ehanire, who is said to be a brother to the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire. The three policemen killed in the attack were reportedly disarmed at their duty post before they were killed by the attackers.

The attack which took place in the evening hours of the fateful Sunday caused panic around the zoo premises and as a result, made fun seekers who had gone there to enjoy the evening breeze to scamper for safety. Spokesman of the Edo State Police Command DSP Moses Nkombe confirmed the killings and said the situation was under control. He assured the public that the zoo is safe for fun seekers and visitors to the recreation park as security around the area has been beefed up; pledging that the attackers will soon be arrested.

The federal government has also condemned the attack on the Ogba Zoo and the Nature Park. In a statement issued in Abuja, Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed described the attack on the country’s tourist destination as a big blow to the ongoing efforts to uplift Nigeria’s tourism sector. Alhaji Lai said, “The success or failure of a tourism destination depends largely on a safe and secure environment,” adding that “incidents such as the attack on the Ogba Zoo and Nature Park therefore negate the concept of tourism as well as government’s determination to develop our tourism industry as a tool for socio-economic development.”

Commenting on the incident, Edo State Commissioner of Police Haliru Gwandu said militants were responsible for the murder of the three policemen and the kidnap of Dr. Ehanire. Gwandu who hinted that they are on the trail of the hoodlums also revealed that “We have been able to recover the vehicles they used. We are using all available means, including ICT, to fish out the perpetrators. They cannot go free”.

Speaking at the Government House in Benin City after an emergency meeting with security agencies in the state, Governor of Edo State Mr. Godwin Obaseki condemned the killing of the three policemen as well as the abduction of the chief executive of the Ogba Zoo and Nature Park. He said, “Our hearts are with the families of the slain police officers and we promise to deploy all the resources at our disposal to ensure that Dr. Ehanire returns to his family in the shortest time possible, unhurt.” Obaseki said Ehanire, a well-known tourism practitioner, was scheduled to play a major role in the planned hosting by the Edo State government of the 2017 edition of the World Tourism Day celebrations which was due to hold Wednesday September 27, 2017. 

We condemn in very strong terms the attack on Ogba Zoo and Nature Park. The unfortunate attack has exposed a new dimension to the intractable crime of kidnapping in parts of the country. Before the Ogba Zoo incident, abductions were in most cases carried out on roads and highways, sometimes too in the houses of victims. It has now been extended to recreation centers. The Ogba Zoo attack is thus one incident that requires security agencies to re-strategise against the changing face of heinous crimes in Nigeria.

While we urge the police to deploy every professional skill at their disposal in order to secure the safe release of Dr. Ehanire, we also ask for a thorough investigation into the incident with a view to capturing and prosecuting perpetrators of the criminal act. Security should also be reinforced at all recreation centers across the country. Criminals must not win in their drive to make us feel unsafe on our highways, in our homes, in our schools and now also in our recreation centres.