A tragic incident unfolded in Adamawa State as one person was confirmed dead following an invasion by hippopotamuses displaced by recent flooding.
The animals have wreaked havoc in communities, farmlands, and riverbanks in Guyuk and Shelleng Local Government Areas.
Chairman of Guyuk LGA, Mr. Shalom Kassa, revealed the development on Monday in Banjiram, noting that a young man lost his life after being attacked by one of the hippos.
The animals, he said, were driven from their natural habitat near the Kiri Dam in Shelleng by rising floodwaters and have since migrated into residential and farming areas.
“This is a serious threat to human lives and means of livelihoods; the animals are destroying farmlands, invading flooded homes, and endangering residents and livestock,” Kassa said.
In response, Kassa, along with Shelleng LGA Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Abba, and local traditional leaders including the Kwandi Nunguraya of Guyuk, Kuruhaye, visited Yola to seek urgent government intervention.
He explained that the extensive flooding in both Guyuk and Shelleng LGAs had forced wildlife, particularly hippopotamuses, to flee toward populated areas, posing increased danger to communities.
However, the situation is complicated by wildlife protection laws that prohibit residents from taking defensive action against the animals.
“We are appealing to the state Ministry of Environment, wildlife officials, and relevant agencies to urgently intervene before more lives are lost,” Kassa pleaded.
He also extended condolences to victims of the ongoing floods, particularly in Yola town, where five people recently died and 55 others were hospitalized due to flood-related incidents.
Receiving the delegation, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Awwal Tukur, assured them of swift action by the government to address the crisis and protect the affected communities.
