The Kwara State Government has buried all confiscated meat from the alleged poisonous cows meant for slaughter and sale for public consumption.
Arewa PUNCH’s investigation revealed that the contaminated cow beef were buried around the Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies in Ilorin, the state capital.
This follows several measures already put in place by the government to prevent meat sellers and the residents from consuming the meat from the contaminated animals.
In a statement released by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Funke Sokoya, the State Government through the collaborative effort of the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Environment, and the State Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with other concerned stakeholders, including the Iyaloja of Mandate Market, all agreed to suspend slaughtering activities for three consecutive days beginning from Monday to allow for proper fumigation of the slaughter slabs against any residual effect.
Arewa PUNCH recalls that a group tagged the Kwara Monitoring Group in a statement issued earlier on Sunday, April 21, 2024 and signed by one Dan Musa had call the attention of the Commissioners of Environment, Health and that of the Kwara Environmental Protection Agency for an immediate action so as to prevent the poisoned meat of the dead cows from being sold to unsuspecting public at the various market places.
According to the group, “Over 33 number of cows were suspected to be poisoned and died immediately but surprisingly, the dead animals were slaughtered and distributed out to butchers to be sold.
“It happened along Atere Road (that leads to Al Hikma campus) right Inside the College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin.
“It is our prayers that the concerned Ministry and Agency take the appropriate and immediate action as nobody knows whose family such poisoned meat would be sold to in the market.”
The government, in a State House statement titled, “Kwara Govt Team Arrives Mandate Market, Confiscates Suspected Beef” which was jointly signed by the state Commissioners of Health and Agriculture, Dr Amina El-Imam and Toyosi Thomas Adebayo, respectively explained that the government team had visited the Mandate Market to confiscate the alleged poisonous cow meat.
The statement read in parts, “The Kwara State Government officials and experts have arrived at the Mandate Market in Ilorin to activate measures to protect the public amid rumours of poisoned cow meat.’’
“On the team were the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Toyosi Thomas-Adebayo; Commissioner for Health Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam; officials from the Ministry of Environment, including the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency, Mrs Folorunsho Idayat, and officials from the Ministry of Health, including the Permanent Secretary, Alhaja Afusat Ibrahim, and the Director of Public Health, Dr. Oluwatosin Fakayode, among others.
“The government has immediately confiscated all the suspected meats after laboratory tests and confirmation of claims after initial engagements with the Mandate Market stakeholders in Ilorin the state capital on Sunday morning.”
Meanwhile, a preliminary investigation on the incident shows that the cause of the ugly incident was as a result of grazing on contaminated grasses around the area.
According to the statement, the Ministry of Agriculture would intensify its surveillance at the different abattoirs in the state, especially the private and government abattoirs.
In his submission, the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Olugbon Abdullateef Saliman said, “all the private slaughter slabs in the state in the ongoing, will have to reduce their number to the level that the ministry could manage. Any slaughter slab that the meat is not inspected will not be allowed to go out to the market. If the slaughter slab is not following our standard it will be closed down, and those closed down will be directed to the government slaughter slabs.
“Also, any private slaughter slab that is close to the government slab will be directed to go and slaughter at the government slaughter slabs. By this standard, we will be able to monitor what they slaughter and sell to the populace,” the statement added.
The State Government on Sunday ordered the temporary shut down of the abattoir at Mandate Market, Ilorin, in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state till Wednesday, following the alleged sale of poisonous cow meat in the market.
The government in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Dr Abubakar Ayinla also ordered the immediate general cleaning and fumigation of the area harbouring the abattoir so as to cleanse it of the suspected meat poisoning in the facility.
Ayinla, in a statement explained that the steps were part of the efforts to protect members of the public following the incident of sale of suspected contaminated poisonous Cow meat in the market.
“The Kwara State Ministry of Environment has temporarily shut down the abattoir at Mandate Market in Ilorin to allow for fumigation and general cleaning of the area following suspected meat poisoning in the facility.”
The permanent secretary stressed that the steps are part of the efforts to protect members of the public following the incident.
Source | Punchng
