Mrs. Ramota Salawu, the fish seller (The octopus)
He further stated that the creature was strange to residents of Ibadan because they were not living in the riverine area.
The CP said: “I think it was an octopus and not a mermaid as claimed by some reports” and urged the people to remain calm as the story around the discovery of a mermaid was not true.
The fish vendor, Mrs. Ramota Salawu, who first saw the octopus lamented her ordeal with some miscreants who insisted that she must produce the ‘mermaid’ she was hiding in her house.
According to her, the mob destroyed her property including her business. She denied seeing any mermaid as claimed by the surging crowd.
She said: “They beat my children and destroyed my property. I showed this creature to them thatI never saw any mermaid.
“Even Osun river goddess adherents came saying they had to perform some rituals but I told them I was not an Osun worshipper and thatI don’t know anything about mermaids. Later, the police had to rescue me from them.”
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Bunmi Babalola said as far as he was concerned, the creature was an octopus.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/ibadan-strange-fish-is-octopus-police/