was pandemonium on Saturday and Sunday near the Trailer Park at Ebubu
in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers when scores of youth, women and
children descended on a burrow pit; dug out and took home several
tonnes of chicken condemned and buried by men of the Nigerian Customs.
The Customs had on Friday dug out a canal there and buried thousands of
cartons of frozen poultry they seized at the Onne Ports. Witnesses said
the chicken were brought in six containers, emptied and
buried before the customs party left.
But news soon spread abroad about the development and very early on
Saturday, the human carrions came calling. With no security at the site,
they dug and dug and opened up the pit.
TELL.ng reports that a
visit to many homes around the area on Sunday revealed serious
barbecuing going on as people roasted and dried the chicken they exhumed
from the burial site.
In one home, a full length refrigerator was stocked full of roast chicken, while the hosts invited guests to a sumptuous pick.
But
the development has sent an alarm across Eleme and neighbouring
communities about the danger of eating the condemned chicken.
The
Archbishop of the popular Commonwealth Covenant Church, the Most Rev.
Moses Kattey, had to put out a message to the people on Sunday warning
people off eating chicken for two weeks.
“A
very mighty hole was dug and trailers of carton of chicken were buried
by govt 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.
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.