Huge python killed at UNIZIKs' hostel [Graphic Photo]

A hunter at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, the Anambra State capital, last Saturday, April 9th, killed a python in an uncompleted building close to a male hall of residence.

TheNation reported that the students had gone out for extra-curricula activities at the time of the incident.

At a few minutes past 9am, a man raised an alarm  on sighting the python. Soon after, a local hunter who lived in the building, chased the python with a cutlass, battling it for several minutes before finally overpowering it.

It was certainly a captivating and stunning event for those who witnessed the battle between man and python.

After its death, the student took the lifeless reptile round campus to celebrate their victory.

The brave hunter, whose name was given as Okey, said he found the python when he heard a strange noise in the building.

He said: “Out of curiosity, I moved round the building to know what was happening. I initially thought somebody was held in captivity within the building. But, what I saw was beyond my imagination. I saw the snake folded at a corner of a room. I quickly fetched my cutlass and an iron rod and moved to attack it before the students joined in killing it.”

A student, who witness the incident, said, “I was playing football with other mates as we do every weekend when we heard people shouting, “python”, “python”, “python”. We left the field to see what was going on and what we saw shocked us. It was like a scene in a movie. I never saw a snake as big and long as this. The length of the snake frightened other students, who ran away. We discovered that the hunter had already overpowered the python. We joined in killing the snake.”

Evidently, the students were so proud of this feat that a drama occurred when the school security officers came to the hostel and attempted to remove the python from the hunter's possession. The students began chanting “bring back our snake” until the snake was returned.

Another student who spoke to TheNation, however, explained that the school management should do more to protect lives and property on campus, adding that the encounter with such creatures is not a new one.

The student, who gave his name as Chuks Okafor said: “This is not the first time we are experiencing something like this on the campus. The killing of two alligators in the hostel is still fresh in our memory. The management may have done well in protecting students against criminals; it is not just about crime. We need to be protected from dangerous animals. I expect the school management to do something about this latest python invasion.”