Twelve cattle on Thursday died while grazing at an open field belonging to the Nigeria-Korea Vocational Institute near the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.
Witnesses said the incident which happened at about 11:00am left the cattle rearer and residents in shock.
Malam Adamu Suleiman, who sells orange near the area, said the cattle were grazing in the open field when suddenly they started falling down one after the other.
He said the herder rushed to call for help but “there was nothing anyone could do as they have all died before we get there.”
He said they could only assist in evacuating the animals after the authorities were called in to ascertained what happened.
According to him, as at the time of the incident, students were not around due to the closure of the Institute as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the cattle may have died as a result of poison from the grass, adding that “it’s possible that herbicide was sprayed on the grasses to prevent them from growing that morning”.
Also, the Police spokesman in the state, CSP William Ayah, confirmed the incident.
He said the cattle were grazing in the open field when they started dying, adding that the Chief Security Officer of the Polytechnic drew the attention of the police to the incident.
CSP Ayah said the police have reached out to the Seriki of Zango, who took custody of the dead animals.
