- According to the police, two out of the three cows that consumed the harmful substance died on the spot before the cattle rearer could intervene.
One Samuel Egbetokun has been apprehended by the police in Ogun State for allegedly poisoning cows.
The incident happened in the Alabata community of the Odeda Local Government Area of the state.
According to the police, two out of the three cows that consumed the harmful substance died on the spot before the cattle rearer could intervene.
The 30-year-old suspect was said to have laced cassava with rat poison and fed it to the cows while they were grazing.
According to the command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, the the cattle rearer, Boji Sanni, initially did not realise that the cassava thrown by the suspect had been laced with harmful substances until the three cows began collapsing after consuming it.
The command said, “The incident came to light on January 16, 2025, when a 54-year-old man, Idris Lawal, of Akingbasa Village, complained to the local police station.
“His cattle rearer, Boji Sanni, caught a man throwing cassava mixed with a substance suspected to be rat poison to his cattle while grazing on January 15, 2025.
“The rearer reported that before realising the cassava was laced with poison, some cows had consumed it. Consequently, two female cows died, and a third is undergoing treatment. The value of the dead cows is estimated at ₦1,500,000.”
Detectives from the Odeda Division, tasked with conducting a preliminary investigation, combed the area and recovered the poisoned cassava, which was secured as evidence, according to the police.
The suspect then reportedly confessed to the crime following his arrest.
“The Commissioner of Police has taken a personal interest in the case, particularly due to concerns about potential retaliation from herders or cattle rearers. He is warning others to refrain from such actions, emphasising that this case will serve as a deterrent,” Odutola said.
This marks the second incident involving residents and cattle rearers in the LG within a week.
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