… preliminary investigation reveals grazing on contaminated grasses

By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Kwara state government has buried the confiscated meat from the alleged poisoned cows which were slaughtered for public consumption in Ilorin, the state capital.

A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Funke Sokoya, said: “This followed several measures already put in place by the government to prevent people from consuming the suspected meat from the alleged poisonous animals in the state.”

Mrs. Sokoya recalled that the state government, through the collaborative efforts 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, had suspended all slaughtering activities for three consecutive days beginning from Monday to allow for proper fumigation of the slaughter slab against any residual effect.

A preliminary investigation on the incident, the Permanent Secretary said, revealed that the cause of the ugly incident was as a result of grazing on contaminated grasses around the area, adding that the
Ministry of Agriculture would intensify its surveillance at different abattoirs in the state, especially the private and government abattoirs.

Meanwhile,, the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Olugbon Abdullateef Saliman, said: “Private slaughter slabs, as it is going, would 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. 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 give to the populace.”