Kwara State Government Seizes Poisonous Cow to Protect Public Health

The Kwara State Government in Nigeria has taken swift action to prevent residents from consuming poisonous beef. Authorities confiscated a cow that had died from an accident and was about to be slaughtered for sale at the Mandate Market in Ilorin, the state capital.

A government team, including officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Environment, and the State Environmental Protection Agency, visited the market and seized the suspected poisonous cow meat. Preliminary investigations indicate that the cause of the incident was due to the cows grazing on contaminated grasses in the area.

Why this matters: This incident underscores the importance of food safety regulations and government oversight in protecting public health. The swift action taken by the Kwara State Government shows their commitment to ensuring the well-being of their citizens and preventing the spread of foodborne illnesses.

In response to the incident, the government has suspended all slaughtering activities for three days starting from Monday, April 22, 2024, to allow for proper fumigation of the slaughter slab. The Ministry of Agriculture will also intensify its surveillance at different abattoirs in the state to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Dr. Raji Razaq, the Commissioner for Health, stated, "Any slaughter slab where the meat is not inspected will not be allowed to operate, and those that do not follow the required standards will be closed down." Private slaughter slabs will have to reduce their number to a level that the Ministry can manage, and those close to government slabs will be directed to use the government facilities to ensure proper monitoring of the meat being sold to the public.

The government has buried all confiscated meat from the alleged poisonous animals and temporarily shut down the abattoir at the Mandate Market for fumigation and cleaning. This incident serves as a reminder of the critical role that government agencies play in safeguarding public health and the importance of adhering to food safety regulations and standards.

Key Takeaways

• Kwara govt confiscated poisonous cow meat from Mandate Market in Ilorin, Nigeria.
• Cows grazed on contaminated grasses, highlighting food safety issues.
• Govt suspended slaughtering for 3 days for fumigation and intensified abattoir surveillance.
• Private slaughterhouses must reduce numbers and use govt facilities for monitoring.
• Govt buried all confiscated meat and temporarily shut down the Mandate Market abattoir.