There was reportedly commotion in a village in Cross river state last weekend after a gorilla living in the wild met a farmer in the bush and followed him home.
It was reported that residents of Bitiah Irruan village in Boki LGA of Cross river State all gathered at the farmer’s home to witness and see the animal for themselves as many said such incident has never happened before.
Trying to figure out why the gorilla followed the farmer home, some said it was possible the animal no longer had food in the bushes, so he followed the man home, hoping to get food from there.
Others insinuated it could be a sign of favour to the farmer, another said the gorilla lost his way while moving from Bumaji village to Bitiah where an NGO takes care of them.
Wonders shall not end. A gorilla followed a farmer from the bush to his house at bitiah irruan boki cross River State to his living house live (sic)
Recall that sometime in March monkeys forced residents of Soluyi/Sosanya Community in Gbagada area of Lagos State, to flee. Residents had to call on the state government to save the community from the trouble, saying that the animals forced their ways into their rooms, destroying window and door nets, foodstuffs and other items.
The Chairman of the community’s Landlord Association, Mr. Adigun Olaleye, said that it had become difficult for the community to curtail the monkeys and their destructive attitude.
He said that the invasion might have resulted from the nearness of the community to a swamp forest that separated the community from Ifako area.
According to him, the monkeys come into residences at any time including early morning and gain entrance into rooms even if the houses are locked.
Olalaye told NAN that the community had written a letter to the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture as regards the situation but had yet to get a relief.
“They said we would have to pay for them to come and pack the monkeys,” he said.
He said that the invasion had been on for years but recently became unbearable.
Olaleye appealed to the state government to urgently intervene.
Narrating her ordeal, a journalist who lives in the community, Mrs. Funmilola Gboteku, told NAN that the monkeys had forced her family to flee.
“Many times, these monkeys come to the neighbourhood to destroy our property. Once they see food items inside a house, they direct all their energies at gaining entrance forcefully.
“The monkeys are in the habit of tearing the protective nets on windows to gain entrance and eat whatever they find in the house.
“I have had to replace the protective nets several times; I am tired of doing it.
“I have been locking my windows but locking of windows has disadvantages; there is no cross ventilation in the house and as a result, we suffer heat,’’ she told NAN.
Another resident, Mr. Gabriel Omopariwa, said that he was tired of the destructive attitude of the monkeys and had tried to look for ways to stop them, to no avail.
