Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
An illegal slaughter slab in the Oke Rube area of Alimosho Local Government Area was, yesterday, busted by officials of the Lagos State government with 10 butchers arrested and two live cows confiscated.
The onslaught was carried out by men of the re-inaugurated Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Team of the state Ministry of Agriculture in furtherance of the sanitisation of the red meat value chain.
The state acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, explained that the exercise was coming on the heels of repeated warnings to the operators of the illegal slaughter slabs and the menace of their activities.
She said: “This dislodgement exercise is necessary especially as the state is particular about the production of wholesome and healthy meat for its residents while simultaneously ensuring that the streets are free of stray animals.
“We will also strictly enforce meat transportation using only the designated vehicles and stray animals control which has lately become more rampant in the State.”
She noted that the state government re-inaugurated the Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance Team last Friday and charged it with the responsibilities of dislodging illegal abattoirs, controlling and enforcing issues relating to the transportation and sale of meat as only the Eko Refrigerated Meat Vans and Eko Live Animals Transport are the permitted means of transporting meat from one place to another.
READ ALSO: Alleged P&ID scam: How bank supplied firm account statements to EFCC
According to her, the illegal abattoirs were constituting a hazard to the businesses of legal operators who are doing everything possible to ensure that only healthy and wholesome meat is produced for the populace.
Olusanya stated that the confiscated carcass has since been donated to the Juvenile Remand Home at Oregun, Ikeja after due inspection by members of the veterinary team in order to ensure the safety of the meat while the live cows would be deposited at the Oko-Oba abattoir at Agege for their owners to claim them within 48hours or risk being similarly donated to charity.
She added that the arrested butchers would be prosecuted at the Lagos State Task Force Mobile Court.
