The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Borno State command, said on Tuesday that it had taken into custody four butchers for allegedly selling the meat of dead animals to residents of Maiduguri.

State Commandant of Corps, Ibrahim Abdullahi, told newsmen that the suspects, who had confessed to committing the crime, were arrested at the Murtala Square area in the state capital.

He said, “The culprits have been selling dead livestock to innocent unsuspecting people.

“They normally go around and pick dead animals from the outskirt of the town and sell same to the public.

“Some of these animals died from tuberculosis, bacterial pneumonia or even brucellosis, which can pose dangerous health challenges when consumed.

“Even if you have the license to operate in an abattoir, the veterinary doctors must ascertain that the animals are safe for human consumption.

Abdullahi disclosed that the chairman of the butchers association in the State said none of the culprits was a registered member of his association.