By Godwin Anene
A seemingly strange large mammal suspected to be “wild whale” that was stranded at the shores of Finima area of Bonny Island in Rivers State has been killed by residents for food.
Residents of the area who celebrated the discovering of the mammal said it was a blessing from God to cushion the hardship caused by the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.
This is coming barely two weeks after residents of the Bonny Island woke up to see large croakers washed at the banks of the communities at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Upon sighting the stranded sea monster, residents, one after the other called their relations, stormed the scene to butcher the “wild whale.”
Recall that the state government had warned residents especially those residing around the banks of the Atlantic Ocean to stop the arbitrary killing of sea mammals in the state.
Some residents on discovering the strange sea animal on Friday have been chopping off its tissues for consumption, a source in the community disclosed.
In an early video footage on fate of the stranded sea animal, residents feasting on it identified it as a “wild whale”, but the strange mammal was seen wiggling parts of its body like a larger than life octopus.
A resident of the area, Peter Awajis, told newsmen on Saturday that, “This is a natural occurrence that happens every year. Ask any native of Finima, Bonny Local Government Area (LGA), Nembe, Brass, (Bayelsa state) and especially people in Oyorokoto, Andoni LGA fishing ports of Rivers, they will tell you same thing.
“It is not new and can’t be linked to recent dead croakers in our waters. This wild whale is original manna from God to cater for the poor, especially in the season of Coronavirus.
“Last year same incident occurred in Nembe, Bayelsa state, and in less than three days before the Bayelsa Ministry of Health could mobilize to the scene, what was left was a mere carcass of the animal.”
*Culled from Niger Delta Today
