Plateau Gov also sent some epidemiologists to Mangu LG to ascertain the truth and prevent loss of lives
Kehinde Okeowo
The Plateau State Government has denied reports that 1,000 cows in some villages in Mangu Local Government Area of the state died as a result of a strange disease.
Social media posts and reports by some news outlets had claimed the disease currently ravaging the north-central state resulted in the death of these animals in just four days.
Responding to the news in a statement made available by the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, Gyang Bere, the Plateau State Government, said the stories are untrue.
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According to the statement, the said story does not reflect the reality in the communities mentioned.
It also said the reports about the mass death of animals in the local government are based on hearsay, and not from credible sources.
Bere said: “The attention of the Plateau State Government has been drawn to a story published in some national newspapers and trending on social media that over 1,000 cows died of a strange disease within a space of four days in some villages in Mangu Local Government Area of the state.
“The story is based on hearsay, and there is no credible source that has authenticated the story, which has created tension in the affected communities.
“The said story is far from the truth, as it does not reflect the reality of happenings in the communities mentioned conspicuously in the story. For the avoidance of doubt, there is no such incident in any part of Mangu Local Government Area and the government has not received information about the mass death of animals from any of the communities mentioned in the reports”
The government, however, said there are two suspected cases of anthrax disease in two communities in the state and that samples have been taken to National Veterinary Research Institute Vom for thorough assessment and further investigation.
“There are two suspected cases of anthrax disease in two communities in the state. The samples have been taken to National Veterinary Research Institute Vom for thorough assessment and further investigation.
“While waiting for the outcome, government would like to make it clear that there was no mass death of 1,000 cows in the mentioned areas as reported in the story,” the statement added
Bere further told Plateau residents that a team of epidemiologists has been sent to the communities on Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang’s instruction to ascertain the truth and prevent loss of lives.
