20 butchers arrested for evading vets, selling suspected meat

Policemen attached to Abattoir Police Station, Agege, Lagos State have arrested 20 butchers for allegedly not presenting their cows to veterinary doctors ensure it was safe for human consumption.

According to the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Inspector Thomas Ifeanyi, the butchers were using illegal abattoirs which are unhygienic.

 Ifeanyi said: “The butchers sell unscreened meat at this Abattoir Market. The 20 butchers were operating illegal abattoirs and slabs. The meats they sell to customers are not screened. They could be bad for human consumption.”

 One of the butchers, identified as Adewumi Ola, denied operating illegal abattoir. He explained that he had been a butcher for 10 years now and had never run into any trouble with the law. He insisted that the cows he and his colleagues butcher were free of diseases.

He added: "I can't believe I’m running into this kind of problem. I pay my dues regularly. The meat I sell is safe for consumption because I consume this meat. Even my wife consumes this meat and nothing has happened to us! So what is wrong with it?"

Ifeanyi noted that most these butchers do not want to change and do the right thing. The right thing he said is for them to change and promote a more hygienic and diseases ridden meat for Lagos residents.

He disclosed that the state government was concerned about the health of its residents, thus, “concerned about eradicating illegal slaughter slabs and stalls in the state.”

Ifeanyi further said: "These butchers are not just ready to change. We have eight slaughter slabs and over 200 refrigerated meat vans. They don’t use those, rather than go for their illegal ones because they are more concerned about their pockets than consumers’ health. There are certified veterinary doctors registered and approved in the market. These doctors have said there are lots of dangers in patronising illegal slabs. The state government is maximising resources under its power to eradicate illegal slaughter slabs in abattoir, Agege area of the metropolis.”

Ifeanyi said that people residing in Lagos have been repeatedly warned to desist from patronising unregistered and unapproved meat sellers.

 "The legal abattoirs have undergone massive cleanup. These abattoirs were set up by the government to sanitise the environment and ensure cattle slaughtered in the facility were safe for consumption. Abattoirs in the state must conform to standard sanitation practices.”

The DCO said that arrested butchers would be brought to justices for committing such an offence.

His words: "The police force in collaboration with the state government will do everything in its power to eradicate this problem. The consumers of these products can also do themselves some good by buying screened and diseases ridden beef at the normal price instead of buying illegal beef at cheaper price!”

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