Tragedy in Ogun as Roaming Elephant kills Farmer in Ijebu-East Community

A wandering elephant fatally attacked a local farmer in the Itasin-Imobi community of Ijebu-East LGA, Ogun State.
On Monday, July 28, Musa Kalamu, a 49‑year‑old local farmer and logger, was killed while collecting previously cut logs inside a government forest reserve.

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He was attacked by up to six elephants, believed to have escaped from a protected wildlife area nearby.

Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry, Oludotun Taiwo, confirmed that Kalamu had ventured into a restricted forest area despite warnings and signage prohibiting public access. He was reportedly collecting illegal logs at the time of the attack.

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Police spokesman Lanre Ogunlowo echoed the account, noting that the elephants traveled from the Queen Elizabeth Forest Reserve, and that calm has since been restored to Itasin-Imobi.

Residents have expressed fear and anger over recurring elephant incursions, which have destroyed crops, nets, and property for years, now tragically resulting in the loss of life.

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“This elephant keeps coming into our community to destroy our crops… now, it has taken a life,” one villager lamented.
The forest spans over 6,000 hectares and is designated for conservation. However, illegal logging, encroachment, and past settlement have severely blurred the lines between wildlife reserves and human activity zones.