by James Sambo
The Nigeria Custom Service (NSC) has impounded a trailer load of smoked meat suspected to be monkey meat imported through the Jibia border in Katsina State.
This is done in order to keep in check the spread of the deadly Ebola virus which has infected tens of victims in Nigeria and killed over a thousand people in Africa.
According to a statement released by the Service, the trailer was seized by the Federal Operation Unit “zone B” led by OC of the team, Assistant Comptroller, Gambo Azare. The meat was later destroyed under the supervision of the Comptroller, Federal Operation, Zone B of the service, ATS Maina and the deputy governor of Katsina State represented by the Commissioner for health.
Maina later made an appeal to citizens living in the border areas of the country to assist the Customs Service in
Maina said that Ebola is a global pandemic which requires intensive surveillance of the nation’s borders to curtail the influx of foreigners and aliens particularly from countries where the outbreak is severe.
He assured that the Customs will intensify surveillance at the borders for the safety of the citizenry and appealed to the people particularly border communities to assist the Customs with useful information to track down unpatriotic persons willing to disobey the law.
The officer who led the operation, Assistant Comptroller, Gambo Azare, told newsmen at the site where the seized meat was destroyed that the driver of trailer conveying the killer meat took to his heels, abandoning the vehicle when the trailer ran into a ditch after a hot chase by his men.
He further said that when the consignment was intercepted, officials of National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) was contacted who advised that the seized meat be destroyed within 24 hours.
It was gathered that the Nigeria Custom Service and other government agencies had intensified the surveillance since the outbreak of the Ebola virus especially when report broke that out countries were closing their border to infected countries.
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