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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Adamawa commissioner defends conversion of former zoo site to amusement park

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Adamawa State's Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Aloysius Babadoke, defended the conversion of a former zoo site into an amusement park.
  • Babadoke stated the zoo had been defunct for over 20 years and dismissed a circulating video as misleading, claiming it did not depict the actual zoo.
  • He asserted that the new park, under construction since 2024, would enhance the state's amenities and dismissed claims that the project was an attempt to deceive the public.

Adamawa State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Aloysius Babadoke, has defended the state government's decision to transform a former zoo site into an amusement park, asserting the move is justified given the zoo's closure over two decades ago.

Even when the Adamawa zoo was in existence, those flowers shown in the video were not in the zoo. There were natural trees that made the place look like a forest because the zoo was established in the 1970s.

— Aloysius BabadokeThe Commissioner explaining why a video circulating on social media does not represent the former Adamawa zoo.

Babadoke addressed a video circulating on social media that he claims inaccurately represents the former zoo. "Even when the Adamawa zoo was in existence, those flowers shown in the video were not in the zoo. There were natural trees that made the place look like a forest because the zoo was established in the 1970s," he told Arewa Punch.

He accused those sharing the video of being misinformed or intentionally misleading the public, pointing out the existence of numerous commercial parks in Adamawa State suitable for events like weddings. Babadoke challenged critics to provide photographic evidence of the specific zoo gate shown in the video.

Those who posted the video did so out of ignorance. They forgot that there were many commercial parks in Adamawa State for weddings and other events. I challenge them to go back and take a picture of the gate of the zoo in question.

— Aloysius BabadokeThe Commissioner dismissing claims made in a social media video about the former zoo site.

The commissioner revealed that construction on the amusement park, located behind the Deputy Governor's Office, began in 2024. He alleged that opponents of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri's administration fabricated the video to damage the government's image, but their efforts have failed. Babadoke urged the public to disregard the video, promising that the new park, expected to open later this year, will be among the best in Nigeria. He also cited security concerns, noting the site's unsuitability for housing dangerous animals and suggesting any existing zoo would have been relocated by the security-conscious governor.

The video was posted on August 16, 2026, but construction work on the former zoo site started two years ago. So, who is fooling who?

— Aloysius BabadokeThe Commissioner highlighting discrepancies in the timeline of a controversial video.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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