The python that escaped from the residence of a former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, in Kano last year has finally been recovered and handed over to the Kano Zoological Garden.
This development brings closure to months of anxiety in Daneji quarters and surrounding communities.
Residents of Daneji in Kano city had been living in fear since July 2025, when a python, along with a crocodile and a lion cub, was evacuated from Idris’ house after one of the reptiles reportedly escaped.
While the crocodile and lion cub were immediately relocated to the zoo, the python remained unaccounted for until last week, when it resurfaced in another house within Daneji.
Managing Director of Kano Zoological Garden, Musayyib Kawu Ungogo, confirmed the development, saying the reptile was brought to the zoo on Tuesday after being evacuated from the house of the Ward Head of Daneji quarters.
He said, “This python was brought to us after it was evacuated from the house of the Ward Head of Daneji quarters, after it was reportedly found in one of the houses in his area.
“We then demanded to take its custody in Kano Zoo, and it is now under Kano State Government ownership and will be kept here.
“People can freely come here and see it as it is part of wild animals not commonly seen by people,” he said.
Ungogo assured residents that the python would no longer pose a threat to the community.
He added that trained personnel had visited the house where it was first found to ensure it had not laid eggs that could later hatch and multiply in the area.
He appealed to residents to report sightings of wild animals rather than attempt to kill them, stressing that eliminating such species could lead to extinction and deprive students and researchers of valuable knowledge.
The incident traces back to July 2025, when residents of Daneji, Mandawari, Kabara, and Soron Dinki were thrown into panic after reports that a python had escaped from Idris’ residence.
The former Accountant General, who had obtained a license under Nigeria’s Wild Animal Law, voluntarily surrendered the animals to the zoo.
The law permits individuals to keep certain wild animals under license, provided they maintain proper habitats and renew permits annually.
However, endangered species must be kept in zoos for conservation. Zoo officials had explained at the time that Idris’ lion was still a cub and posed no immediate danger, but stressed that mature wild animals must be transferred to the zoo.
Police later confirmed that Idris was invited for questioning, while zoo authorities worked to reassure the public that the animals were safely evacuated.
