Crocodile Trapped and Killed in Umuahia Residential Area, Sparks Fresh Fear Among Residents

Panic gripped residents of the Government College area in Umuahia, Abia State, on Wednesday morning when a live crocodile was trapped and killed in Iyi Umuohu, a shallow swampy stream running behind closely built homes.

The incident, which occurred around 9:20 a.m., comes barely five weeks after two highly venomous black cobras were killed in traps set along the same riverbank on October 29, 2025.

Eyewitnesses told journalists that the crocodile was discovered struggling in a locally made trap placed in the nearly dried-up stream. By the time many residents arrived at the scene, the reptile had already been killed.

Chukwu Chidiebere, a resident, said the stream is usually shallow at this time of the year, making the appearance of such a large reptile particularly alarming.

Another resident, Prince Adex, confirmed that the trap had been strategically positioned in the water by a local hunter whose efforts have now claimed three dangerous reptiles in less than two months.

Residents commended the unidentified hunter for his vigilance and thanked God for continued protection, while expressing serious concern over the increasing proximity of dangerous wildlife to homes.

They called on the Abia State Ministries of Environment and Agriculture to urgently intervene by mapping high-risk areas, monitoring wildlife movement, and implementing measures to prevent future threats to human life.

Confirming the species of the animal, Levi Iteba of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Management, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, said the creature was indeed a crocodile.

“Crocodiles are amphibious and highly territorial. When hungry or threatened, they can attack anything—livestock or humans—that enters their space,” Iteba warned, urging residents to avoid the stream and report suspicious animal sightings immediately.