Officials of the Environmental services in the four Local Government Areas in Ondo State, on Thursday, halted the sales of cow meat in the area, following the death of eight cows struck to death by lightning in the early hours of Wednesday.
It was gathered that the eight cows that were killed by the lightning on Wednesday morning were quickly prepared and offered for sale by the herdsmen to the unsuspecting butchers.
The cow meat which was sold at ridiculous amount caused the butchers to investigate the reasons behind the giveaway prices, while they were told that the cows were struck dead by lightning.
It was gathered that some butchers who had bought the cow meat in the early hour of Thursday were prevented from taking the meat to the market to avoid epidemic disease, reports.
A source who spoke to our reporter explained that some of the butchers were invited to Agboriki area of Ikare Akoko in Akoko North-East Local Government Area of the state by the herdsmen, after the processing the dead cows in area of the town where the incident happened.
He said the incident was reported to the officials of the Environmental Health Services who swung into action immediately and ordered that no meat should put up for sale in the Ikare Akoko and other areas.
He said apart from the health implication of consumption the dead cow, the source said it is forbidden by tradition for people to eat or touch anything killed by lightning.
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Speaking on the development, the Director of Environmental Health Service in Akoko North-East, Mrs Yemisi Adeniyi, said that the officials had to establish synergy with the butcher association to prevent the spread and sales of the dead cow meat in the markets across Akoko land.
According to her, other Directors of Environmental Health Services in the whole of Akoko had reached an agreement to suspend the sales of meat in the markets until the incident is addressed.
She disclosed that some of the perpetrators behind the sales of the dead cows have been arrested and were prevented from taking the cows to the market.
She said they mobilised to the scene of the incident on Thursday morning, saying the cows were seized while the area was also fumigated to avoid the spread of disease.
The health experts, however, cautioned the people of Akoko to stay away from cow meat in the next few days to avoid consumption of such meat, which was traditionally and medically not good for consumption.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Butchers’ Association in Ikare, Mr Kabiru Ismaila said he was working with government’s environmental health officials to ensure such cow meat was not sold in Akoko markets in the next few days.
