A 15-feet (4.572 metres)- snake has been killed by a 23-year-old
herdsman, Bayo Ibrahim, close to the Ado-Afao-Ekiti road in Ekiti State.
Spectators
called it various names, including “Aminurin”, “Ojola” and “Ako
Monomono”, which are all Yoruba names for a massive snake. It was learnt that the snake had been killing domestic animals, including dogs, sheep, goats and chickens.
The
size of the snake attracted spectators from as far as Odo-Ado, Oke-Ila,
Basiri, Nova Road and GRA in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, to the
sparsely-populated Afao road, turning it into a Mecca of sorts.
The
spectators said: “We have never seen anything likethis”; “Is this what
we have been living with?” and “This is the wonder of the year in
Ekiti”.
They pushed one another to catch a view of the snake, which some said was big enough to feed, at least 40 sturdy men.
Ibrahim,
who hails from Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, said he saw three
snakes while grazing his herd close to the road and killed them with a
cutlass.
He said: “I am a cattle rearer. I saw three snakes in a
small bush and killed them with my cutlass. I sold two yesterday for
N10,000 each. I have also sold this last one for N10,000 to that man.
“I
have killed about 12 of such snakes. They always kill our dogs and
goats. But they have not killed any person. They do not kill by biting.
They roll round their prey and suffocate it, until it dies. If you want
to kill them, aim for the head and do not miss it, because if you do, it
can be fatal. If you are scared, do not go near it, but if you are
sharp and quick, you will kill it easily.”
Many spectators said it was strange to see such a long and thick snake.
Ajayi
Adekunle said: “To me and most of us here, it is new. I have seen such
snakes many times in movies, but never in real life. It will easily kill
and swallow humans. You can see how big it is. Even a car cannot kill
it. I urge people living in this area to be careful, as more of this
snake may still be around here.”
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