‘Escaped baboon within Jos Wildlife Park’

A baboon that escaped at the Wildlife Park in Jos early yesterday is still within the vicinity of the park, the Plateau state government has assured residents. State Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Hospitality, Peter Mwadkon, said the beast only escaped from its cage and resisted eff orts by offi cials to return it. Speaking with journalists in Jos, Mwadkon said he was not aware anyone was injured in the incident. “No one has told me of the baboon injuring anybody,” the commissioner stated. “Th e staff of the park have been trying hard to put it back into its cage, the animal is not at large as it has been speculated.” He did not state whether the offi cials had managed to return the beast into its home. Th e spokesperson of the special taskforce on Jos crisis, Umar Adam and the police spokesperson in the state, Terna Tyopev, said their attention had not been drawn to the incident. A witness had earlier told Premium Times that the animal injured a soldier who was on security duty at the gate of the park. According to a source, there had been insuffi cient food supply for the animals in recent times. As a result of the incident, there had also been anxiety among residents around the park since morning, with the park receiving no visitor throughout Monday. It would be recalled that a lion had last year escaped from the same park, and was eventually shot dead by a soldier.