The Kwara State Government has promptly reacted to frightening claims regarding the selling of allegedly poisoned meat at Mandate Market in Ilorin, after the strange death of 33 cows.
Naija News reported that the state administration made an urgent call for calm, adding that it was taking measures in to handle the situation and avert any damage to public health.
The Kwara Monitoring Group (KMG) had already voiced concerns in a statement issued on Sunday, April 21, 2024, demanding swift government action.
The organization said that the slain cows were thought to have been poisoned, and dangerously, the meat was sent to butchers and perhaps sold to unwary people.
“It happened along Atere Road (that leads to Al Hikma campus) right inside College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin,” the KMG statement detailed.
“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,” it added.
In response, the Kwara State Government despatched a team to the market, headed by Commissioners for Health and Agriculture, Dr. Amina El-Imam and Toyosi Thomas Adebayo, respectively.
The delegation also comprised important officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency, as well as health specialists
A government statement titled “Kwara govt team arrives Mandate market, confiscates suspected beef” outlined the steps taken by the officials.
“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,” it stated.
The statement also confirmed that all suspected meat has been confiscated for laboratory tests to verify the claims.
It added, “The government has immediately confiscated all the suspected meats for laboratory tests and confirmation of claims after initial engagements with the Mandate Market stakeholders.”
Authorities have reassured the public, urging calm and patience as they work to establish the veracity of the poisoning claims.