The Abia State Government has directed environmental health officers to urgently inspect all abattoirs across the state and prevent butchers from using vehicle tyres to roast animal skin, popularly known as “kanda.”

The government warned that the practice poses serious public health risks, including potential exposure to cancer-causing substances.

Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, gave the directive in Aba on Thursday during a meeting with environmental health officers.

Ogbonna charged the officers with ensuring strict compliance with environmental and health standards at abattoirs across the state.

The commissioner also directed the officers to enforce the government’s order against sand miners and dredgers operating in Umuigwe and Uratta communities in Osisioma.

He noted that the Aba master plan does not permit sand mining activities in the affected areas.

Ogbonna further urged the environmental health officers to intensify public sensitisation on proper sanitation practices and educate residents on the importance of maintaining clean and healthy surroundings.

Earlier, the President of the Abia State chapter of the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN), Obieze Odimuko, and the association’s treasurer, Mrs. Onyinyechi Nwigwe, disclosed that environmental health officers had visited 1,382 villages and 79,955 premises across the state.

They added that 50,236 abatement notices had been issued, with 22,143 cases of compliance recorded, while 2,559 defaulters were prosecuted between June 2025 and August 2026.