He said the lion would be subsequently transferred to a zoo.
An Indian national residing in the Victoria Island area of Lagos has been accused of guarding his apartment with a lion he smuggled into the country.
The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit has sent operatives to the apartment located at Muri Okunola Street in Victoria Island, following a petition by residents of the area.
According to a report by PUNCH, Head of the task force team, Yinka Egbeyemi, said he now has the instruction of the Commissioner for Environment and Ministry of Agriculture to tranquilise the animal.
He said the lion would be subsequently transferred to a zoo.
Egbeyemi noted that the Indian might also be prosecuted, as he would have to explain how he brought the carnivore into the state.
He said, “Our men have been there since Friday. They will remove the animal on Monday.
“The Indian man rented the apartment and lied to the owner of the house that he wanted to be staying there.
“He claimed that the house was under renovation and brought the animal there.
“The neighbours saw the thing and that was how we got a petition from them.
“We have sent him a letter that he should come and talk to us.
"We will like to know how he got the animal.
“He will have to tell us why he is rearing a lion in a city; that is a wild animal and anything can happen. So, he may be prosecuted.”