Herdsmen and key stakeholders of abattoirs in the South West Zone and Kwara may have shunned a call by their counterparts in Enugu to close shop and embark on a sensitisation on security in host communities.
Investigation by the News Agency of Nigeria reveals that abattoirs in states in the South West Zone and Kwara remained open on Friday with butchers and their patrons engaging in business transactions.
NAN reports that Abattoirs in Enugu State were on Wednesday closed down for business in compliance with a directive by the Enugu State Amalgamated Market Traders Association and Enugu State Butchers Association.
The directive followed a decision by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Northern Leaders of Livestock and Perishable Goods Market to embark on a sensitisation tour of such markets due to security concerns in the State.
A NAN correspondent, who visited the Ibadan Central Abattoir located at Amosun village in Akinyele Local Government Area reports that normal daily activities were ongoing at the facility.
Although members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, who reported, gave the directive could not be reached, Lateef Oladosu, the Secretary, Ibadan Central Abattoir, told NAN that there was no such directive in the state.
He said: “I just left the abattoir now and people are there performing their daily activities. I do not know of any stay at-home directive from anyone to our members.”
NAN also learnt that a group of Fulani herdsmen was planning a press conference for Friday in Ibadan although it was unclear whether it would be speaking for MACBAN.
In Osun, Alhaji Oluwatoyin Suleiman, the Chairman of Gan Fulani Development Association in Osun, also said that no directive had been issued to herdsmen in the state.
Suleiman, however, said herdsmen would hold a meeting on Saturday to take a decision on how and when to hold a security sensitisation programme in the state.
The abattoirs, which are mostly operated by Yorubas in the state, opened for business on Thursday and Friday morning.
A NAN correspondent, who went round some abattoirs around 6:30a.m. on Thursday, reports that cows were being slaughtered and people were also sighted waiting to buy.
In Ondo State, the only MACBAN controlled abattoir in Ondo State in Shasha Market, Akure, witnessed full operation as at the time NAN correspondent visited the market on Thursday morning.
No official of the association was around to respond to any questions but cows were being slaughtered while customers were already buying from meat sellers.
In Ogun, NAN checks at Lafenwa, the major abattoir in Abeokuta, revealed that slaughtering activities were ongoing as usual while customers were also making purchases.
In Kwara, a visit to the Sola Saraki Ultra-Modern Abattoir in Ilorin revealed that normal business activities were ongoing.
Efforts to speak with the leadership of the butchers association at the market proved abortive, although a butcher, Akeem Ibrahim, said that no such directive was issued in the state.
He said that butchers had all killed their cows and dispatched them for sale.