Mr. Iorver Udele, 53, of the Ajio tribe in the Shangev-Ya region of the Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, is said to have killed a lion with his own hands on Friday after it attacked him in the Ngokugh mountains.
A Nigerian military jet crashed in the Ngokugh Mountains on September 17, 2006, killing 13 of the 18 Army generals on board and rescuing three more thanks to the efforts of Detimbir Chia, a 14-year-old who found the crash scene with his dog and has since joined the Nigerian Army.
The roaring Lion apparently assaulted Mr. Iorver as he was working on his cassava field in the Ngokugh Mountains, where he also made history by killing a lion with his bare hands like the Biblical Samson.
Mr Iorver, in a self defense bid launched a counter attack, in what can best be described as a fierce battle that lasted for about ten minutes before he defeated the wild beast.
Speaking with reporter after the epic event, he said, “I was working on my cassava farm at Ngokugh mountain and suddenly, I heard a sound like that of a Lion roaring and advancing towards me”.
“I was nervous. I summoned courage and confronted the Lion as it was coming towards me possibly to feast on me. It took about ten minutes during the struggle before I killed it”, said Iorver.
Mr Iorver who sustained varying degrees of injuries was immediately rushed to the General Hospital at Adikpo where he is ssid to be receiving treatment.
Family sources of Mr Iorver told journalists that he was indeed in stable condition as at the time of filing this report.
Also, a critical stakeholder in the area, Mr Lawrence Akerigba told our correspondent that Iorver sustained serious injuries during the encounter with the Lion and has been hospitalized, adding that the beast attacked the victim while working on his cassava.
Mr Akerigba said the victim is between 52 and 53 years old.
When contacted, the State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Anene Catherine Sewuese, who immediately called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the local government said they were yet to receive the report.