After months of fear and uncertainty, the elusive python that escaped from the private residence of former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, in Kano has finally been recovered.
The snake disappeared in July 2025 after it was found alongside a crocodile and a lion cub at the former top government official’s residence in Daneji, Kano.
The shocking discovery had sparked panic across Daneji and neighbouring communities, with residents of Mandawari, Kabara and Soron Dinki reportedly worried that the giant reptile could turn up in their homes.
But the python has now been captured after resurfacing in another house in Daneji, bringing an end to the months-long snake scare.
The reptile was evacuated from the house of the Ward Head of Daneji and handed over to the Kano Zoological Garden on Tuesday.
The Managing Director of the Kano Zoological Garden, Musayyib Kawu Ungogo, confirmed that the python was brought to the facility after it was discovered inside the residence.
He said the zoo had taken custody of the reptile and that it would remain there under the ownership of the Kano State Government.
Ungogo explained that members of the public would be able to see the python at the zoo, describing it as one of the wild animals that people rarely get the opportunity to observe closely.
He also assured residents that the snake was no longer a threat to the community.
According to him, trained zoo officials had inspected the house where the python was found to establish whether it had laid eggs which could hatch and produce more snakes in the neighbourhood.
He urged residents who encounter wild animals to alert the authorities rather than kill them, warning that indiscriminate killing could contribute to the extinction of some species and deprive students and researchers of opportunities to study them.
EX-AGF KEPT PYTHON, CROCODILE, LION AT HOME
The bizarre saga began in July 2025 when the authorities evacuated wild animals from Idris’ residence following growing concerns over the safety of residents.
The animals included a python, a crocodile and a lion cub.
Kano Zoo officials subsequently disclosed that Idris had a valid licence to keep certain wild animals at his private residence under Nigeria’s Wild Animal Law.
The law allows individuals to keep specified wild animals in their homes provided they obtain the required licence, maintain suitable habitats and meet prescribed safety and welfare conditions.
Zoo officials said the animals kept by Idris had not reached a stage where they posed a serious danger.
The lion, in particular, was still a cub at the time, but authorities stressed that once such animals mature, they would have to be transferred to a zoo.
Following the public panic, Idris voluntarily surrendered the animals to the Kano Zoological Garden.
While the crocodile and lion were taken into custody, the python remained missing — until its surprise appearance months later.
N109BN FRAUD CASE HANGS OVER EX-AGF
The dramatic wildlife episode also comes as Idris remains embroiled in a separate legal battle over an alleged N109.4bn fraud.
The former Accountant General is standing trial before a Federal Capital Territory High Court on a 14-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC alleges that Idris, alongside other defendants, diverted billions of naira from public funds through bogus consultancy arrangements and other transactions.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that the proceeds were laundered through investments in real estate in Kano and Abuja.
The defendants in the case include Idris, Geoffrey Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited. All the defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During proceedings, Idris disputed aspects of the EFCC’s case and alleged that investigators deceived him into making statements that implicated him in the alleged fraud. The EFCC, however, denied promising him immunity from prosecution.
The alleged N109.4bn fraud case remains before the court.
FROM FRAUD TRIAL TO PYTHON DRAMA
For residents of Daneji, however, the immediate concern was never the courtroom battle but the whereabouts of the missing python.
For months, the reptile remained unaccounted for after escaping from the former AGF’s compound, leaving residents wondering where it was hiding.
Its eventual discovery in another Daneji residence has now ended one of Kano’s strangest wildlife scares.
The python has been safely moved to the zoo — far away from the neighbourhood where it spent months keeping residents on edge.
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