The Enugu State Government has said it will penalise any farmer or meat seller caught selling dead animals for public consumption.
The government has warned butchers, poultry farmers and livestock breeders against this unhealthy practice to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
The warning was contained in a statement issued jointly by the Commissioner for Health, Ikechukwu Obi, a professor, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Patrick Ubru, in Enugu, the state capital.
Commissioners raised concerns after members of the public reported that animals dying from influenza and other zoonotic diseases were being sold at the meat market.
They noted that the state government activated its public health, veterinary and local government disease surveillance systems and notified its officials to investigate the alleged practices.
Commissioners called the act unacceptable and warned that eating dead animals could have serious health consequences for consumers.
They reiterated that the crime will not go unpunished as state health agents are already visiting livestock farms and slaughterhouses to conduct investigations.
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“The Government reiterates that the sale of animals that have died for unknown reasons outside of normal preparation methods is a serious crime.
“The consumption of such meat carries serious health risks, as it can cause zoonotic diseases that are easily transmitted from animals to humans,” they said.
While urging the public to remain vigilant and be wary of such practices, the commissioners said the law could lead to epidemics of varying magnitude with serious health consequences.
They also urged the general public to report any suspicions through the hotlines of the following ministries: 08037178703, 08066865511, 08037431577 or 08033375344.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalled that in July the Veterinary Department of the State Ministry of Agriculture raided the Afo Awkunanaw Gariki market where they discovered some people selling uninspected and dead animals as meat to the public.
(YAYA)