30 dead cows get mass burial in Ondo as health workers monitor community markets

Dayo Johnson – Akure

A mass burial has been given to 30 cows that died mysteriously in Akungba, Akoko in Akoko South West council area of Ondo State.

This is coming barely 24 hours after the cows died at the camp of the owner on AUD raid in Akungba community.

Although tongues are wagging over the cause of the death of the cows owned by one Alhaji lbrahim Saliu, the cows reportedly died one after the other after they returned from the grazing field that ill fated day. Recall that the traditional ruler of Akungba, Oba Sunday Ajimo, had warned butchers not to sell the dead cows to the residents for fear that they were poisioned. Oba Ajimo said consuming the meat “could be inimical to their health as the animals died of suspected food poisoning while grazing.

The traditional ruler threatened that any meat merchant caught selling parts of the cows would be prosecuted. Oba Ajimo who described the incident as a huge loss to the owner said each of the cow was estimated at N300,000 each.

Vanguard gathered that health officials from the Akoko South West council area have flooded the market in a bid to ensure that the meats of the dead cows are not sold to the people in the community In an interview, the Environmental Director of the council, Mrs Adenike Olugboyega, confirmed that the dead cows had been given mass burial at the council’s dump. Olugboyega said that “The burial was supervised by environmental experts according to laid down rules and regulations in order to ensure that contaminated and poisonous cow meat don’t find its way into the markets for public consumption.”

Speaking on the development, the Seriki Musulumi of Akungba Akoko, Chief Saliu Awesu, commended the proactive steps of the local government health workers. Awesu said that the timely evacuation of the dead cows for burial had prevented health crisis in the community He assured that that the community would continue to monitor the situation.

Vanguard