No fewer than 23 persons were arrested in Minna, the Niger State Capital for operating illegal slaughter slabs.
The arrests were made by the task force constituted by the Niger State Government to clamp down on the operations of such slaughter slabs in some areas which include Kpangungu, Minna Club/UK Bello, Maitumbi behind Day Secondary School, Turaku PZ slaughter slabs.
Confirming the development in a statement made available to newsmen in Minna, the Commissioner of the state Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Ibrahim Garba Musa said that the arrests followed the expiration of the one-month quit notice served by the state government.
Garba stated that the state government has mandated all slaughter slabs to move to the government-recognized abattoir located at Tayi Village, in Minna.
He warned restaurant owners to desist from slaughtering their animals on their restaurant premises
He noted that the state government would not hesitate to take action against them.
“A lot of vices are promoted through illegal slaughtering of animals and evasion of inspection of such meat gives room for the supply of contaminated meat to the public. There could be security implications because some of them could be stolen or dead animals and could be slaughtered and sold to innocent individuals,” Garba said.
He further said that the exercise would continue until all the illegal operators move to the new site.