Osun State Government on Sunday said it has evacuated and destroyed 17 cows and two sheep killed by thunder strike in Gaa Elesun Village, Iba, Osun State.
All the animals that died in the attack belonged to a herder called Ismaila Mohammed.
As many as 40 cows belonging to different herders in the village were said to be tethered to posts in the open space where the animals usually stayed, when the thunderstrike was heard in the settlement around 6:30pm on Friday.
However, only those owned by Mohammad died in the incident.
In a chat with The Punch on Sunday, Special Adviser to Osun State Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Abiodun Ajisefinni, who led a delegation that also included the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Lekan Badmus, to the scene of the incident, said the animals had been “evacuated and destroyed” to prevent epidemic.
READALSO: https://www.nextedition.com.ng/lightning-kills-19-cows-in-osun
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Fulani Community in the state has pleaded with Osun State Government to come to the aid of the herder that lost animals to the lightning.
The Seriki Fulani for the state, Oluwatoyin Suleiman, said the affected herder had lost all he laboured for over the years.
He also dismissed claims that Fulani herders were leaving the state as a result of the incident.
Suleiman said, “Fulani men are not leaving the state as a result of Friday’s incident.
“The movement of cows, cattle and other animals is a norm and practised by herders to find veritable locations to feed their animals.
“Although we are saddened by Friday’s incident, the state government has ensured that the affected animals were properly incinerated to avoid health and environmental hazard, while it should also look into the loss of the affected herder.”
Source: The Punch
