The Gombe State Government has issued a safety advisory urging residents, especially those living near riverine areas, to exercise caution following a deadly hippopotamus attack in the Dadin Kowa River.
Mr. Mohammed Fawu, Commissioner for Water, Environment, and Forest Resources, gave the warning after a 19-year-old farmer, Yahuza Bawa, was killed by a hippopotamus while fishing in the river in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area on October 5.
The incident also left Bawa’s colleague, identified as Abubakar, seriously injured.
Fawu, who sympathised with the deceased’s family, said the government responded promptly, leading to the recovery of Bawa’s body for burial.
He disclosed that plans were underway to establish a hippopotamus sanctuary to prevent further human-wildlife conflicts.
“With such a sanctuary in place, the safety of both humans and the animals would be guaranteed, and similar incidents in the future could be avoided,” he said.
Describing the attack as unfortunate, the commissioner explained that it was likely caused by misunderstanding between the animal and the community.
“This is the period when hippopotamuses have young ones and become aggressive. They feel threatened whenever they see people in the water,” he said. “Anyone in sight is seen as a danger to their offspring, which triggers the attack.”
Fawu urged farmers and fishermen to stay away from the river during the breeding season, noting that other fishermen who ignored the warning were recently attacked but survived.
“Fishermen should not go out without taking precautions. Don’t risk your life for livelihood — you have to be alive to earn it,” he cautioned.
He added that officials of the ministry were already sensitising communities along the riverbanks and would continue awareness campaigns to ensure safety.
An environmentalist, Mr. Ismail Bima, also appealed to fishermen to adopt fish farming using ponds as an alternative to open-water fishing.
Bima, who sympathised with the affected families, urged residents to avoid activities that could provoke hippos and called on the government to support fish farmers to reduce frequent encounters between humans and the animals.
A few days after the fatal attack, some fishermen were again attacked by hippopotamuses but survived with varying degrees of injuries.
