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Following report of the death of thirty-three cows as a result of the alleged poison and also put on sale, the Kwara State Government on Sunday mandated the investigation of the poisonous meat on sale at the Mandate Market, Ilorin.
The government however, appealed to members of the public to maintain calm.
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 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.
“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 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.”
