Adamawa commissioner defends ex-zoo site conversion to park

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The Adamawa State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Aloysius Babadoke, has said the conversion of a former zoo site into an amusement park is justified because the zoo ceased operation over 20 years ago.

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Speaking exclusively to Arewa Punch in Yola on Thursday, the commissioner dismissed a video circulating on social media, saying it did not show the Adamawa zoo.

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“Even when the Adamawa zoo was in existence, those flowers shown in the video were not in the zoo. There were natural trees that made the place look like a forest because the zoo was established in the 1970s,” he said.

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Babadoke said those who shared the video were either misinformed or deliberately misleading the public, noting that there are several commercial parks in Adamawa State where weddings and other events are held.

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“Those who posted the video did so out of ignorance. They forgot that there were many commercial parks in Adamawa State for weddings and other events. I challenge them to go back and take a picture of the gate of the zoo in question,” he said.

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He disclosed that construction work had been ongoing since 2024 at the former zoo site, located behind the Deputy Governor’s Office.

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“The video was posted on August 16, 2026, but construction work on the former zoo site started two years ago. So, who is fooling who?” he asked.

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The commissioner alleged that the video was mischievously fabricated by suspected opponents of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s administration, but said those behind it had failed in their alleged attempt to damage the government’s image.

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Babadoke urged members of the public to disregard the video, saying the new amusement park, when completed later this year, would be among the best in the country.

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“Even for security reasons, the place is not suitable for a zoo—a place that is going to house dangerous animals. Even if the zoo had been existing before the present administration, the governor, who is security-conscious, would have relocated it to another place,” he said.

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The controversy followed a video circulated on social media last week, which purportedly showed the Adamawa Zoo and claimed that animals had been constructed inside the facility, with visitors paying to see them.

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However, when Arewa Punch visited the former zoo site last Friday, heavy construction work was ongoing on the land.

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