The Kwara State Government has appealed to members of the public to be calm over alleged sale of poisonous meat at the Mandate Market, Ilorin the state capital.
The government’s appeal followed the reported death of 33 cows as a result of poison and whose meat was allegedly put on sale.
A group tagged “Kwara Monitoring Group (KMG)” in an unsigned statement issued on Sunday, April 21, 2024, had called the attention of the Commissioners for Environment and Health as well as the Kwara Environmental Protection Agency, asking for an immediate action to prevent the poisoned meat from being old to unsuspecting public.
The group said, “Over 33 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 College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin.
“It is our prayer that the concerned ministry and agency take appropriate action as nobody knows whose family the poisoned meat could be sold out to in the market.”
However, a Government House statement titled “Kwara govt team arrives Mandate market, confiscates suspected beef” jointly signed by the Commissioners for Health and Agriculture, Dr Amina El-Imam and Toyosi Thomas Adebayo respectively, said that the government team had gone to the said market to confiscate the alleged poisoned meat.
The statement read, “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 for laboratory tests and confirmation of claims after initial engagements with the Mandate Market stakeholders.
“Further information will be given as may become necessary.
“The government urges members of the public to be calm while the team establishes the truth of the rumour of poisoned meat. It also commends leadership of the market for their cooperation so far. members of the public to be calm.”