Crime & Court
Illegal Abattoirs Sealed in Ibadan
THE Oyo State Government has hinted that a law suit has been instituted against operators of unlicensed and unauthorized abattoirs in Ibadan, the state capital, adding that an interim order issued by the Oyo State High Court was executed by court Sheriffs on Friday June 22 to seal Bodija market abattoir, Aleshinloye market abattoir, and several other such unlicensed abattoirs across Ibadan.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural and Natural Resources, Prince Oyewole Oyewumi on Wednesday stated that the state government has constituted a taskforce to enforce the relocation of slaughter services by all butchers to the central abattoir at Amosun Village, Akinyele, Ibadan to ensure quality, standards are met for commercial animal slaughter to protect citizens from obnoxious and unhealthy practices. According to him the taskforce comprises of Nigeria Police, Civil Defense Corps, DSS, Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, Physical Planning and Bureau of Investment Promotions with the responsibility to identify and enforce the provisions of the Meat Law of Oyo-State and other relevant laws.
The Agric Commissioner reiterated that the government decided to relocate the abattoirs in Ibadan to finally curb the unhealthy process of slaughtering of animals, offer of dead, sick and unwholesome animals in various markets, backyard slaughter slabs and many contraptions and make-shift slaughter houses in unhealthy environment with obnoxious practices, stressing that the State Government had in partnership with the private sector established a 3000 per day capacity mechanized slaughter facility at Amosun village, Akinyele L. G. as a viable and state of the art facility for all abattoir services within Ibadan.
The Commissioner said that the government regretted that after giving the Butchers 4 years to wind up and paying no taxes, the Ministry of Agriculture observed that some unscrupulous persons among the Butchers Union in Oyo State, rather than wind up, were in fact establishing new slaughter locations in unhygienic environment with no certification of government, no veterinary presence for inspection of animals for slaughter, nor approval of the said abattoirs by relevant authorities of government.
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According to Prince Oyewumi , “For the last 5 years,the Ministry of Agriculture has engaged all stakeholders in a bid to ensure cooperation of all parties with the new initiative meant to assure the populace of the quality of cattle meat and other animals offered for sale in our markets. The Private sector Investment company, the OYSG, Local Government Councils/LCDAs in Ibadan, and the National Butchers Association (Oyo State chapter) held several meetings over the last 3 years leading to the final take-off of this initiative by the signing of a global Memorandum of Understanding between the parties by which the equity participation of all stakeholders were agreed, implementation plans accepted and commencement confirmed.
“Earlier in 2014, the OYSG had given all abattoirs operating in Ibadan a year to wind up their activities and relocate their slaughter operations to the new state of the Art abattoir at Amosun village. Since 2014, the state had ceased to collect due rates and taxes from all abattoirs in Ibadan, in order to encourage compliance and ensure that the operators wind up and comply with the meat law of Oyo State which makes it illegal for anyone to operate any slaughter slab, abattoir or slaughter house without the authority and license of government.
“Regrettably, even after giving the Butchers 4 years to wind up, paying no due taxes, the Ministry of Agriculture had observed that some unscrupulous persons among the Butchers Union in Oyo-State, rather than wind up, were in fact establishing new slaughter locations in unhygienic environment with no certification of government, no veterinary presence for inspection of animals for slaughter, nor approval of the said abattoirs by relevant authorities of government.
“This according to the Attorney-General occasioned the State filing the legal action against the operation of such illegally operating abattoirs being run without authorization and valid licenses. The Oyo State High Court had issued an interim order of injunction restraining the continued operations of all unlicensed and illegal abattoirs in Ibadan, and a mandatory order authorizing the Ministry of Agriculture to seal such places forthwith pending the determination of the suit filed.
“The said order was executed on Friday 22nd June by the Sherrif of the High Court who sealed up Bodija market abattoir, Aleshinloye marker abattoir, and several other such unlicensed abattoirs across Ibadan. However no sooner that the court Sherrif and police left some of these locations sealing them and pasting the court seal, orders and processes there, did the operators mobilize to breach and break the seal of court only to resume their illegal activities, particularly at the Bodija market,” Mr. Abimbola explained.
Mr. Abimbola said that at Tuesday’s proceedings, the court warned all parties to ensure they keep the peace and abide by the subsisting court order and avoid what can lead to contempt.
The Attorney-General of Oyo State, Oluseun Abimbola Esq, leading a team of lawyers from the Ministry of Justice assured the court that government was only enforcing the provisions of the Oyo State Meat Law, Laws of Oyo State 2000 and extant laws of the state and no more, and encouraged lawyers for the faction of Butchers who were operating illegal abattoirs, to advise their clients accordingly to ensure they operate under the laws of the state.
“Some of the lawyers had indicated they were yet to be served with other processes in the matter which the Attorney-General undertook to ensure were served on the hitherto unknown persons, now showing their faces now. The court then by agreement of all counsel adjourned the matter to 24th October for pending applications,” he added.
The Commissioner for Justice warned all operators still surreptitiously illegally operating unlicensed abattoirs to stop such illegality immediately as the Ministry is poised to prosecute such offenders in criminal court, pointing out that operating an illegal abattoir is a crime under the Meat law of Oyo State.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has issued a stern warning to politicians embezzling local government funds, vowing that they will not be spared by the anti-graft agency.
Olukoyede made this declaration on Wednesday while addressing activists, traditional rulers, and local government officials at the Gombe State Local Government Summit in the North-East state.
His remarks come on the heels of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that granted full financial autonomy to local governments, ensuring direct allocation of funds to the third tier of government. He urged the 774 local government chairmen across Nigeria to utilize the increased financial inflow for strategic developmental projects that will benefit their communities.
“Even though you may have financial autonomy, you must also remember that you don’t have constitutional immunity,” Olukoyede stated. “The application of your resources will be strictly monitored, not only by anti-corruption agencies but also by the state government. It is in the interest of the state government to ensure that local government funds are responsibly and judiciously utilized for developmental projects.”
The EFCC chairman emphasized the need for local government officials to embrace transparency and accountability, noting that effective governance at the grassroots level depends on adherence to financial regulations and public finance management principles.
He further called for the proper functioning of the legislative arm of local governments, lamenting that many council lawmakers fail to carry out their duties. “We have observed that in several areas, the legislative units of the local governments neither sit nor work as required,” he said.
Olukoyede stressed that without a proper system of checks and balances, local government chairmen would continue to act as sole administrators, a situation he described as detrimental to due process and accountability.
“You are not sole administrators; you are local government chairmen,” he reminded them. “To build an accountable system at the local level, we must start with ensuring that council leaders are in tune with laws governing public finance and that they comply fully.”
The suspended traditional ruler of Orile Ifo, Oba Abdulsemiu Ogunjobi, has been remanded at the Ilaro Correctional Centre following his arraignment before the Ifo Magistrate Court on charges of assault, conspiracy, and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The embattled monarch appeared before the court on Tuesday to face a three-count charge filed against him by the Nigeria Police Force, stemming from a viral video that allegedly captured him verbally and physically assaulting an elderly chief in his community, Areola Abraham.
In the widely circulated footage, Oba Ogunjobi was seen berating Chief Abraham, accusing him of conspiracy and issuing threats. The disturbing nature of the video sparked public outrage, prompting law enforcement agencies to take legal action against the suspended ruler.
During the court proceedings, Oba Ogunjobi pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, the presiding magistrate set his bail at ₦5 million, with stringent conditions requiring two sureties, each expected to deposit an additional ₦5 million.
Unable to meet the bail conditions, the traditional ruler was subsequently remanded at the Ilaro Correctional Centre pending further court hearings.
The case has been adjourned to March 6, allowing both the prosecution and defence time to prepare their arguments.
Legal Reactions and Community Tensions
The remand of the traditional ruler has generated mixed reactions within the Orile Ifo community. While some residents have expressed support for the legal process, others believe the incident should have been resolved through traditional channels.
Meanwhile, legal analysts suggest that the stringent bail conditions reflect the seriousness of the charges against Oba Ogunjobi, emphasizing that the judiciary is keen on ensuring justice is served without interference.
A Nigerian businessman, Chijioke Nnanna Igbokwe, has undergone an exploratory laparotomy to remove 57 out of 81 cocaine pellets that had been lodged in his stomach for seven days after ingesting them in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to a statement by Femi Babafemi, the spokesperson of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Igbokwe was arrested on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
A body scan conducted by NDLEA operatives confirmed the presence of illicit substances in his system, leading to his immediate detention for excretion observation.
Failed Beirut Trip Exposed Drug Trafficking Attempt
Investigations revealed that Igbokwe, who claimed to be a clothing trader at Arena Market, Oshodi, Lagos, traveled from Lagos to Addis Ababa on January 22. On January 23, he ingested 81 wraps of cocaine before boarding a flight to Beirut, Lebanon, where he was expected to deliver the consignment in exchange for $3,000.
However, upon arrival in Beirut, Lebanese authorities denied him entry for failing to meet the minimum cash requirement of $2,000, leading to his deportation back to Addis Ababa. While in Ethiopia, he attempted to excrete the illicit drugs but was unsuccessful.
Medical Emergency Leads to Surgery
On January 25, Igbokwe flew back to Lagos with the drugs still inside him but was apprehended by NDLEA officers upon arrival the following day.
After five days in custody, he only expelled 24 pellets, prompting medical intervention at the NDLEA’s medical facility and later at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
With time running out and worsening health conditions, Igbokwe was admitted for exploratory laparotomy on January 30, following consent from his wife and brother. The surgery successfully removed the remaining 57 pellets of cocaine.
Babafemi confirmed that NDLEA operatives recovered all 81 pellets, weighing 1.943 kilograms, from the suspect.
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