Don’t sell dead animals to residents, Enugu govt warns butchers

Farmers and butchers in the state have received warnings from the Enugu State Government not to sell dead animals to locals for human consumption.

To stop contagious diseases from spreading, the government issued a warning against the harmful practice.

In Enugu, the state capital, professor Ikechukwu Obi, the commissioner for health, and Patrick Ubru, the commissioner for agriculture and agro-industrialization, jointly released a statement that includes the warning.

The commissioners voiced their concerns after receiving information from some members of the public that animals that passed away from zoonotic diseases, such as the flu, were being sold at the meat market.

They emphasised that the local government, veterinary, and public health agencies of the state government had all turned on their disease surveillance systems and informed their officers to investigate the alleged practices.

Describing the act as unacceptable, the commissioners counselled that eating dead animals could lead to serious health implications for the consumers.
They reaffirmed that the state health inspectors were already investigating the crime by visiting cattle farms and abattoirs, so there would be no escape from punishment.

The government affirms that it is a significant criminal to sell animals that died for reasons that are unclear if they are not prepared according to standard procedures.

Consuming such meat carries serious health risks since it can result in zoonotic infections, which are diseases that people can contract from animals with ease.

The commissioners warned that the act could result in epidemics of various sizes with deadly health effects, but they also urged the people to be on guard and keep an eye out for such activities.

The public was also asked to report any suspicions by calling the hotlines of the respective ministries, 08037178703, 08066865511, 08037431577, or 08033375344.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, during a raid on the Afo Awkunanaw Gariki Market in July, representatives of the State Ministry of Agriculture's Veterinary Department found that some vendors were selling the public uninspected, dead animals for meat.