A former leader of the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ Bayelsa State Council and an avid supporter of wildlife, Tarinyo Akono, has expressed concern over the gorilla killings that have been occurring in the Bayelsa State local governments of Nembe and Ogbia.
The gorilla is a protected endangered species, according to Akono, who first raised the issue in a conversation with journalists in Yenagoa, according to The Will.
The former leader of the NUJ urged the government to act quickly to stop the slaughter of the gorillas, pointing out that it is the responsibility of the government to safeguard wild animals that are designated as endangered species.
He added that seven gorillas have been killed for bushmeat since January 2022, saying it was upsetting to witness two gorillas slain in a single day this year.
Akono urged the traditional leaders in the two LGAs, especially in the Etiema and Akepelai communities, to warn their citizens against killing the gorillas, noting that under the Wildlife Protection Act of 2016, doing so carries a 10-year prison sentence.
If the gorillas are trained to be friendly enough, he maintained, they will draw tourists and generate enormous amounts of money for the state.
