A tragic incident unfolded on Monday in the Itasin-Imobi community of Ijebu East Local Government Area, Ogun State, as a wandering elephant reportedly attacked and killed a farmer, Mr. Musa Kalamu.
According to local sources, the wild elephant, believed to have strayed from a nearby government-reserved forest, invaded Kalamu’s farm and launched a fatal attack on him. The deceased was said to have died on the way to the hospital due to the severity of his injuries.
Residents of Itasin-Imobi revealed that the elephant has been a persistent threat in the area for over four years, destroying crops, damaging fishing equipment, and now taking a human life. “This elephant keeps coming into our community to destroy our crops, damage our fishing nets, and now, it has taken a life,” a local resident lamented.
Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry, Taiwo Oludotun, stated that the ministry is aware of the situation and is already mobilizing a team to the community.
The State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, also confirmed the incident in a message, disclosing that officers from the Divisional Police Office in Ogbere received information on July 28, 2025, at about 4:20 PM that elephants had escaped from the government reserve and attacked Musa Kalamu. He noted that officers from the state forestry department have been contacted to contain the animals and restore normalcy.
A disturbing viral video emerged on Tuesday showing the lifeless body of the victim, nicknamed "Kala," with visible injuries allegedly inflicted by the elephant. Bystanders in the video could be heard pleading for urgent government intervention, highlighting the community’s longstanding struggles with roaming elephants.
The people of Itasin-Imobi are now calling on the Ogun State Government and relevant authorities to take decisive action to prevent further loss of lives and property.
Authorities assured that calm has returned to the community as efforts are underway to prevent a recurrence of such a devastating event.
