- Warns Against Consumption Of Dead Animals
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The federal government has raised the alarm over the outbreak of poison in trade animals which occurred at the Mandate Cattle Market, Ilorin, Kwara State.
The government said mortality in herds occurred at the market in April, 2024 and the outcome of the investigation revealed that animals had grazed on the forage that was fumigated with organophosphate chemical prior to the incident.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Peter Temitope Fashedemi, in a statement, explained that clinical signs observed were hypersalivation, weakness, and recumbency.
Fashedemi stated that on noticing it, the herders slaughtered 7 of the very weakly affected animals for public consumption.
According to him, 40 suspected poisoned animals were treated with organophosphate antidotes, and they responded with marked improvement in their health, leading to recovery.
To avert future occurrences of hazardous agricultural practices, he informed Nigerians that “there is danger in consuming unwholesome meat and other food of animal origin, especially contaminated with organophosphate.
“Meat for human consumption should be purchased at registered, government/private approved spots such as abattoirs, slaughter slabs, meat shops, etc. Such products must have been certified wholesome, fit for consumption by a registered veterinarian.
“Meat from dead animals is unwholesome and should not be consumed.
“With a withdrawal period of 14 -21 days after injection, ingestion and / or application of drugs or chemicals preparation on animals should be strictly observed before products from such animals are certified for consumption.
“Dead animals should be properly disposed of with the aid of veterinarians and environmental health officers.
“Report and diseased animals or suspected to be diseased to the nearest veterinary clinics/hospital or animal health services providers.
“People who may have genuine reason to apply chemicals on open farmlands or fields should please notify their host communities to avoid grazing animals on such fields for at least one week.”
He, however noted that that “there is a Rapid Response Team (RRT) in every state of the Federation, made up of Federal Epidemiology Officer, State Director, Veterinary Services and State Epidemiology Officer, who have been adequately trained by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for emergency situations such as this.
“In this particular instance, the RRT in Kwara State in collaboration with the State Government’s task force, swiftly swung into action to trace and confiscate the meat from the slaughtered animal; these were subsequently disposed in an environmentally friendly manner.”