Contaminated Turkey Seizure: Eight Arrested by Lagos Taskforce to prevent cholera outbreak

The enforcement unit of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences has apprehended eight individuals and seized numerous cartons of contaminated turkey in the Epe area.

The agency’s spokesperson, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, announced on Sunday that the Nigerian Customs Service had initially confiscated the turkeys. Due to their contamination, which posed a risk of cholera outbreak, they were incinerated at a dump site.

Mr. Abdulraheem explained that despite the destruction order, the contaminated turkeys somehow ended up in the possession of unscrupulous individuals attempting to sell them to the public.

“Following a tip-off from a Lagos State House of Assembly member, Mr. Rasheed Shabi, and the Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, the task force promptly intervened. The team raided shanties near the dump site where the turkeys had been destroyed, arresting eight suspects and recovering some of the turkeys, along with harmful weapons,” he stated.

In response to the arrests, traditional ruler Kamorudeen Animashaun expressed the community’s gratitude for the task force’s quick action to prevent the distribution of the contaminated products.

“We must not exacerbate the situation; it is our duty to protect the public and ensure that no malicious individuals endanger the state for their selfish gains. The Nigeria Customs Service should collaborate with other agencies like the police, military, DSS, and LAWMA during exhibit burning operations. This will prevent official compromises and ensure that items are destroyed beyond recovery,” the traditional ruler remarked.