Some people living in the Osara community, in the Obantoko area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, are worried about the bad smell coming from 32 dead cows.
The cows were said to have died after being struck by lightning during heavy rain on Saturday. Residents spoke to reporters and shared their concerns about the incident.
According to the community leader, Baale Wasiu Afolabi, the lightning strike happened during the heavy rain that started around noon on Saturday.
Afolabi said the Fulani herders who were taking care of the cows informed him about the incident around 2 p.m. that day.
After the incident, the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Daisi Elemide; the Chairman of Odeda Local Government, Dr. Afolashade Adeyemo; and the State Police Commissioner, Lanre Ogunlowo, visited the area. They asked residents to remain calm.
A resident named Olamide told reporters that the smell from the dead cows is now making people afraid of a possible disease outbreak.
She explained that government officials visited the site on Sunday and promised to take care of the problem, but nothing has been done yet.
Olamide said, “The dead cows from Saturday have become a serious problem in our community. The smell is terrible because they haven’t been removed.”
“The officials who came on Sunday said they would help, but we haven’t seen any action. I just hope they don’t wait until there’s a disease outbreak before they do something.
“Another resident, who didn’t want his name mentioned because of his job, also complained about the bad smell.
He said it’s been hard for people to sleep.He begged the government to help quickly to prevent sickness. He said, “The smell is very strong. It even woke us up this morning.
The Speaker and local government chairman came and promised to help.”“We, the people of Osara, are begging the government to act fast. The smell is too much, and we don’t want it to lead to disease.
“A community leader, who also asked not to be named, said that after residents complained, some environmental health officers came to the site on Tuesday.
He said the officials told them they were waiting for an excavator to dig a hole for burying the cows. That’s why the bodies were still lying there. “We’ve reported the issue to the government, and health officers came today.
They said they need an excavator to dig the ground before they can bury the cows, but nothing has been done yet.”“We are still waiting for them to take action. The smell is unbearable. I’m speaking to you now from the scene,” he said.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, confirmed that the government is working on burying the cows.“Yes, we are aware, and the cows will be buried,” Oresanya said.
However, by the time this report was written, the residents said the cows still had not been buried.
