Swallowed N6.82m: We don’t even have a Gorilla — Zoo MD

The management of Kano Zoological Garden has made a quick reversal over the missing N6.82 million reportedly swallowed by a Gorilla in its zoo.
It said in clear terms that the money was stolen from its coffers by armed robbers.
Mallam Umar Yusif Umar, the Managing Director of the zoo, said it has no Gorilla and that the money was stolen by burglars.
Umar told newsmen on Monday: “I was called midnight on Sunday June 9th by the head of security that armed robbers burgled our office, including the revenue office.
“About 6:30am, I left my home for the office and immediately I arrived I met my office and that of all the Directors opened.
“Instantly I called the DPO, Sharada Police Station and reported the case to him.
“As far as I’m concerned, I suspect theft and nothing close to Gorilla.”
Umar said the money stolen was N6.90 million and not N6.82 million as widely reported.
The spokesman, Kano State Police Command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, said 10 staff of the zoo, including the Accounts Officer, Lawan Dandadarin, have been arrested and detained.
Haruna told newsmen that the statement collected from those arrested so far has nothing to do with Gorilla.
“So far, information collected from the suspects suggests armed robbery case and that of negligence,” Haruna said.
The BBC Pidgin reported on Friday that Freedom Radio, a Kano-based radio station, claimed that a finance officer it spoke to said “a huge Gorilla” sneaked into their office to “swallow” the money.
But the Head of Current Affairs of Freedom Radio, Nasiru Salisu, said the Gorilla story did not emanate from the station.
Salisu said: “We challenge anybody who claimed we broke the Gorilla news to come out and prove it.
“We never reported such story.
“Like every other person, we noticed the information on social media and a reporter was drafted to investigate the matter.”