Chiefdom wins war against snakes
The war against snakes declared by the people of Katungo Chiefdom in Gombe State is being won.
The Emir of Kaltungo, Alhaji Sale Muhammad, who said this on Sunday in Kaltungo in Gombe, said the number of snake-bite casualties had decreased compared with what obtained some years ago.
He said as part of the 'war' strategy, each snake killed attracted a reward of N100, adding that this had encouraged his people to participate in the war.
He said in addition, seedlings of anti-snake shrubs were being distributed to people to plant all over the chiefdom to aid in sending away the dangerous reptiles.
``We may not be able to kill all the snakes as many of them are on the hilltops, but the ones wrecking havoc in towns are being reduced drastically,'' said he.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kaltungo chiefdom is within to the ''snake belt'' area of the North, with an average of six persons being bitten daily by the reptile.
Recently, some medical research experts from the United Kingdom visited the Kaltungo General Hospital to test of a new anti- snake venom manufactured in Egypt.