Ebola: Some Nigerians still patronise bush meat sellers despite FG warning

The fireplace for smoking the freshly killed animals from the bushes is built from mud and stands about three meters high with iron mesh holding the ‘delicacy’ above the flames. This is the usual sign of a bush meat selling point.Gidan-Busa town in Kachia Local Government of Kaduna State is situated along the Kaduna-Abuja express […]

The fireplace for smoking the freshly killed animals from the bushes is built from mud and stands about three meters high with iron mesh holding the ‘delicacy’ above the flames. This is the usual sign of a bush meat selling point.
Gidan-Busa town in Kachia Local Government of Kaduna State is situated along the Kaduna-Abuja express way.  The town is one of the famous spots for selling bush meat. An other town is Ida.
Since the recent outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus that has claimed more than 1000 in Africa, including Nigeria, authorities have stepped up calls against handling of wild animals and consumption of bush meat.
Ebola virus disease (EVD), according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), came from fruit bats and is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals.
In Africa, infection has been documented through the handling of infected chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelope and porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.
Muhammad Bello prepares bush meat for sale at Gidan-Basu. Bello, who is an indigene of Zamfara State, said he had been learning the trade of hunting, buying and selling of bush meat from his mentors since 2007. His mentors, he said, had been in the business for 25 years.
After mastering the trade, Bello said he started buying and displaying assorted bush meat, which was mostly sought after by the rich and mighty in the society.
He disclosed that there were two types of bush meat sellers. Those that sell big animals like gazelle, antelope, rabbit and those that sell all types of animals like gazelle, monkey, snake, guinea fowl and bat, among others. “But I sell only gazelle and rabbit,” he said.
Bello said they persistently suffer harassment and intimidation from some people, at some point, requiring the intervention of their elders. “We have been managing such distractions. Even if they arrest us, our elders will make sure the issue is resolved amicably,” he said.
He said traditional title holders, responsible for forest management, sometimes harass them for no just cause other than to extort money from them. “They would come up with spurious allegations, which were always resolved,” he explained.
Bello said he occasionally hunts, adding however that professional hunters spend days in the bush hunting wildlife which they later come to sell. “If the games are many, they inform us to come and convey to town,” he said.
According to him, most of the hunters come from Zamfara and spend a whole year in the bushes. “Some go to the bush with their cooking items.”
On the species of animals available in the bush around Gidan Busa, Bello said they include antelope, gazelle, rabbit, grass-cutter, among others. “Today, I have antelope, gazelle and rabbit meat for sell,” he told Sunday Trust during the interview.
“People ask me for monkey, snake and bat meat, but I tell them I don’t deal in such meat,’ he added.
When asked whether he is aware of the Ebola virus, Bello answered in the affirmative, saying his customers ask similar question before they buy. “Nevertheless, they are not deterred from consuming the bush meat. Some senior army and police personnel have our phone numbers and they call us and ask us to be honest with the name and type of meat we have in stock,” he added.
He said he heard of the disease on the radio and that the cause was from bush meat, specifically monkeys.
Bello said his unique selling mode was to eat from the bush meat in order to convince his customers that the meat was consumable and free from any contamination.
However, our reporter learnt that at a town called Maraban-Idda in Kagarko Local Government, there is a thriving market where monkeys, snakes, donkeys, dogs and other different types of domestic and wild animals are sold.