The Mandate Market in Ilorin, Kwara State has been shut temporarily by the state government following allegation of the sale of meat from 33 cows reportedly killed due to poisoning. The state government, through Ministry of Environment, in a statement ordered the immediate general cleaning and fumigation of the abattoir so as to cleanse it of the suspected meat poisoning.
Dr. Abubakar Ayinla, Permanent Secretary of the ministry said “Over 33 cows were suspected to be poisoned and died immediately but surprisingly, the dead animals were slaughtered and distributed 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 prayer that the concerned ministry and agency will take immediate action as nobody knows whose family will end up buying and consuming such poisoned meat being sold in the market.”Dr. Amina El-Imam, commissioner for health, also said a team of officials had been deployed to the market, adding that the suspected poisonous beef was seized.
“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,” the statement reads.“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.”The government has, therefore, pleaded with the people to exercise calmness, assuring them that the government team was working to establish the “truth of the rumour of poisoned meat”.
The authorities have also requested market leaders to help maintain the peace in the market. The interim measure the state government has taken is to temporarily shut down the abattoir “to allow for fumigation and general cleaning of the area”.