Residents exhume contaminated chicken buried by customs

The trailer park at Ebubu in Eleme Local Government area of Rivers State became a smash and grab scene when scores of youths, women and children took over a burrow pit; dug it out and took home tonnes of contaminated chicken buried by men of the Nigerian Customs.

Operatives of the Nigerian customs reportedly dug out a pit and buried six containers of contaminated chicken seized at Onne Ports before they left the scene last Friday.

News soon spread about the development within the vicinity and very early on Saturday, the next day, scavengers came with shovels, pans, basins and buckets to cart home their loot with no security cordoning the area.

Sources say a visit to many homes on Sunday witnessed a barbecue fest as people roasted and dried the chicken they exhumed from the pit.

However, the development has sent warning signals across Eleme and neighbouring communities about the danger of eating the contaminated chicken.

Most Rev. Moses Kattey, the Archbishop of the popular Commonwealth Covenant Church, put out a message to the people warning them to stay off poultry feeds for at least two weeks.

“A very mighty hole was dug and trailers of carton of chicken were buried by government for health reasons. People have gone there with shovels to exhume the meat to sell. Warn your people please not to buy frozen or fried chicken next 2 weeks. They are poisonous. This happened here in Eleme but can be sold anywhere,” the archbishop said.

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Mr. Friday Lewa Goya, a local resident said:
“We saw scores of people in Eleme/Onne axis (just before trailer Park) carrying raffia bags full of exhumed ‘frozen’ chickens and turkey. The Nigerian Customs buried them yesterday after seizing them from the importers.

“Please if you live in Rivers state, especially in Onne area cascade this post. you might also want to stay off frozen poultry for a while.”

A few other residents however said there was no health hazard with the poultry.

Mr. Lasbrey Iriaka said the poultry was confiscated not because it had expired or because it posed health hazard.

“It was seized from importers because it is contraband. The customs men even diverted one container themselves. So who is fooling who?” queried Iriaka.

The Rivers State Ministry of Health has warned the public not to eat chicken buried by the Nigerian custom services along trailer park axis of East West Road.

A statement signed by the press officer ministry of health Paul Bazia said efforts are on to mop up the ones already in circulation.

The Ministry said the chicken which was imported by fraudulent business men are not safe for human consumption.

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