Enugu State police command yesterday dismissed speculations that cow meat sold in a community market in Enugu was poisoned.

The state police command was reacting to a viral video showing several dead vultures in a local market, Ihe in Awgu local government area. An unidentified voice in the video attributed the death of the vultures on consumption of poisoned cow meat at the local abattoir consumed by the birds.

The voice was warning people not to consume cow meat sold in the market that day (Saturday), alleging that herdsmen poisoned the cow slaughtered in the market.

The viral video raised a lot of concern and panic among Enugu residents. But reacting to the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ebere Amaraizu, dismissed the video and the alleged speculation of poisoned cow, saying it was the activities of bird hunters that caused the death of the vultures.

He said: “The attention of the Enugu state command of the Nigeria police force has been drawn to a wide speculations occasioned by a video in circulation that a lot of vultures consumed cow meat and died in Enugu community.

“The command wishes to inform members of the public that there is no cause for alarm as enquiry conducted by the command revealed that it is the activity of bird hunters (poachers) who usually mix some concoction with slaughtered animal left overs and faeces with a view to attracting vultures to it and to consume it.

“Further information gathered revealed that after consuming it, vultures will be weak and subsequently die for them to go and pick it. However, some vultures believed to have taken the concoction of these bird hunters (poachers) fell down Enugu community market and were not able to be picked on time before the widespread speculations.” (New Telegraph)

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