An unnamed South East Nigerian business man had
imported treated animal hide as raw material
for production of leather products, from a certain source. He left the materials in a cold
storage facility, returning to find it had become bloated
‘Kpomo’, enticing and salivating. This is what independent
research has revealed. A government official, who is not yet authorized
to speak to the media, has confirmed that this
poisonous material has found its way into Akwa Ibom State, sold
as meat.
The official, who spoke with the writer on Tuesday
March 22nd, explained that this
particular Kpomo (edible Cow skin), may have originally been the
skin of elephants, horses, donkey or some other dead
animal. The product is believed to have been sold
from either Onitsha or Aba to buyers all the way as far as Lagos. It got into
Uyo through a popular village market at Ikot Ekpene, Urua Ator.
A Lagos resident, who had developed
health complications on consuming it, had alerted medical
workers of ‘some special kind of Kpomo’. This prompted
authorities to set up a silent, but urgent trace for the meat, to prevent further
consumption without causing unnecessary pandemonium.
Meantime, it is strongly believed that this portly,
Pork-resembling Kpomo is being smuggled in increasing volume into
the country, as contrabandists try to make big business off it.
The material, which is being labeled in classified health
regulatory documents as ‘Toxic Kpomo’, and has been
categorized by health authorities as a contraband product.
The document also notes that “efforts are being made
to stamp it out of our markets”.
It is not yet disclosed how many casualties have been caused
by this product in Nigeria, and also in Akwa Ibom;
but it already has earned a dreadful
name; ‘Ikpa Ebola’, meaning ‘Ebola skin’, among some traders in
Uyo.
Identifying
Ikpa Ebola
The document specifies four qualities that can
help identify this toxic meat;
-
It is thicker than the normal cow skin
-
It has a different smell
-
It deteriorates fast
-
It is tasteless
The Danger
Animal Hide is preserved through
a process called ‘Tanning’, a term that derived
its name from Tannin, an acidic substance traditionally
applied to animal skin to prevent decay. But what is even more worrisome is the fact that
skins, the kind of this particular Kpomo, is known to be preserved
using Formaldehyde or Formalin (mostly 37% formaldehyde)
before being exported to Nigeria.
Formalin is the chemical used commonly for
embalming human corpses and preserving animal specimens in
Zoology laboratories. Among other substances that have similar uses, Formalin
is able to keep internal organs from decomposing; which makes it
most desired for application on animal hide
meant to be transported over long distances.
Quoting the Akwa Ibom office of a regulatory body,
“Ikpa Ebola causes damages to human/animal internal organs
thereby predisposing consumers to a variety of diseases.”
It is expected that an official statement will
be released by relevant government departments to
properly warn the citizenry, especially those in affected states,
from dealing in the banned commodity,
and from consuming it.
Read Also:
Comments