Gombe State Government has issued a safety alert urging residents, especially those living near rivers, to stay cautious following a fatal hippopotamus attack in Dadinkowa River. Mr. Mohammed Fawu, Commissioner for Water, Environment, and Forest Resources, shared that 19-year-old farmer Yahuza Bawa lost his life while fishing, with his colleague injured in the same attack. The government swiftly recovered the body and is working on creating a hippo sanctuary city to protect both the animals and people, aiming to prevent future deadly clashes.
Fawu warned that hippos are especially aggressive during breeding season, feeling threatened by human presence near the water. Residents and fishermen are urged to avoid risky river activities and take safety seriously. Environmentalist Ismail Bima encourages fishermen to consider pond fish farming as a safer alternative and called on the government to support such initiatives and community awareness programs to reduce hippo-human conflicts.
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