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| One of the Pythons |
Some
security guards of Greenland Estate in the Mende, Maryland area of Lagos State
killed three 30-foot pythons in the early hours of Tuesday.
It was learnt that the
killing of the reptiles brought panic into the estate as residents expressed
fear for their safety.
It
was gathered that the animals were exposed after the dredging activities of the
Lagos State Government.
It
was gathered that after killing the pythons, the security guards on the estate
put them up for sale for N10,000.
The
Vice Chairman of the estate, Sola Adekoya, said more than 15 pythons had been
killed on the estate in 2016 alone, urging the government to find a lasting
solution to the overgrown canals in the area.
He
said, “The security men and some squatters caught the three pythons this
morning around 8am. The giant snakes were about 30-foot long.
“We
have seen more than 15 pythons this year alone; the guards kill them regularly.
The reason is that the canals are overgrown and the snakes always hide under
the canals. We need government’s intervention on time to avoid any
tragedy.”
It
was learnt that residents of the area always stayed indoors at night for fear
of being attacked by snakes.
A
visitor to the area, Adewale Adeoye, revealed that he saw the three snakes when
they were alive.
Adeoye
urged the Lagos State Government to create a zoological garden for the animals
to preserve them and generate income for the state.
He
said, “These snakes are worth a fortune abroad. The Lagos State Government
should conduct a wildlife survey in order to preserve threatened animals and
plants.
“How
can you be talking of a mega city without a green zone or a biological garden?
The young men have gone to sell the snakes for N10,000; a generation of rare
animal species gone down the throat in less than 24 hours. This merely reflects
poverty of ideas in governance.”
The
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, did
not pick his calls when contacted by our correspondent and had yet to respond
to a text message sent to his phone as of the time of filing this report.
Source:The Punch
Tags
Society