justice

GODWIN ISENYO writes on the devastating consequences of the chemical discharge from the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company, which has had a telling effect on the health and finances of residents of the neighbouring Kapam community

in the quiet town of Kapam, nestled in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, a sense of despair hangs in the air.

The chemical discharge from the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company has behind left a trail of destruction, devastating the lives of hundreds of residents.

It killed the animals in the community and dried up the crops as the stupefied residents watched in vain.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday August 28, 2024, has rendered many farmers helpless, destroying their source of livelihood and posing a significant threat to their health.

The affected community, mostly farmers, has been reeling from the devastating effect of the chemical discharge and left to pick up the pieces of the damage done.

When our correspondent visited the affected area, the extent of the damage was apparent.

Farms, once lush green, now lay barren and still, their crops withered and dead. The air is thick with the smell of chemicals, and the once-clear stream runs murky and grey.

Residents, who initially thought it was just another bout of pollution, soon realised the gravity of the situation as the toxic fumes began to take its toll on their health, farms and livestock.

The residents faces, filled with worry and despair, summarised the depth of the damage that had been done to the quiet community.

Their frustrations boiled over and tensions were high on Friday, August 30, 2024 as hundreds of protesters from the community blocked the entrance to the KRPC, holding placards and displaying dead crops and their leaves.

Their wailings and cries filled the air, as they demanded compensation for damages caused by the toxic chemical discharge.

The protesters, mostly women, carried placards with messages like ‘KRPC has completely destroyed our crops’ and ‘KRPC has poisoned us with toxic chemicals.’ They alleged that the chemical discharge had destroyed their farms, killed their animals, and posed a significant threat to their health and lives.

Some residents said they felt soreness in their eyes and noses following the discharge.

The KRPC, in a statement, acknowledged the incident and promised to investigate. However, the company’s silence on the matter has been a source of grave concern for the dejected residents.

Mike Ogaba-Oja, a member of the sub-committee set up by the community to interface in the matter, told our correspondent that KRPC has failed to reach out to the community.

“We’ve heard nothing (from them). No succour yet from KRPC,” Ogaba said.

Josiah Luka, another victim of the chemical leakage, echoed Ogaba’s sentiments.

“We are yet to hear from them,” Luka stated.

Telephone calls to KRPC’s Public Affairs Department Manager Jimah Mahmoud for comments on the issue were not answered while text messages to his phone were not replied as at the time of filing this report.

The victims, in their hundreds, called on the Federal Government to prevail on KRPC to compensate them for their losses.

They also threatened to seek legal redress if the company failed to compensate them.

A female resident of the community, who identified herself simply as Rose, fought back the tears as she described the devastating impact of the chemical discharge on her community.

“Our children are suffering because of the negligence of KRPC,” Rose, who took part in the protest, told The PUNCH.

“They inhaled the toxic chemical and now they are lying in the hospital, fighting for their lives. We can’t afford to lose them.”

Like her fellow residents, Rose said KRPC must take responsibility for its action.

“We demand justice and compensation for our sufferings. They must ensure that this never happens again.”

Another distraught woman pleaded with KRPC to address the community’s plight.

“We’re worried about our health, but we have no access to medical care. Our food is contaminated, and we’re struggling to survive. KRPC needs to step in and provide us with the necessary assistance. We can’t do this alone,” she said.

“We can’t continue to live in an environment that’s toxic and harmful to our health,” said Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, a youth leader. “We want the refinery to take responsibility for their negligence and clean up the mess they’ve created.”

Community leaders estimate that the chemical discharge, which occurred on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, has resulted in financial losses totaling millions of naira, alleging further that the refinery has neglected the host community, citing a lack of essential services such as schools, hospitals, electricity, and basic healthcare facilities.

A community leader, Jatau, voiced the community’s frustration.

“We have endured years of neglect, but this latest incident has pushed us to the breaking point,” he said.

“We demand comprehensive compensation for our losses and immediate action to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of the refinery’s operations.”

Mike Ojah, another victim, lost hundreds of chickens, worth millions of naira.

“I was away when the incident occurred. When I returned, I was met with the devastating sight of my poultry in ruins.”

Orji Emmanuel, a farmer, was among those affected. His farm, once his pride and joy, is now a shadow of its former self.

“I lost almost N2m worth of crops,” he lamented. “My children were also affected by the chemical. They complained of difficulty in breathing, and I had to rush them to the hospital.”

Felix Sunday, 49, estimated his losses at over N1m. “The chemical discharge was like tear-gas,” he said.

“Everyone ran for their lives. I considered it negligence on the part of the refining company not to have notified us.”

John Atabor, a 65-year-old geologist and another victim of the chemical emission, shared his heartbreaking story.

The destruction of his farm, which had crops like coconut, mangoes, cashews, maize, sweet potatoes, soya beans and rice, is estimated to be around N5m.

Atabor had taken a bank loan of N5m, but is now left to rue his luck following the financial losses he incurred.

“I came to the village to network with them on how to promote a green economy to mitigate climate change. That’s why I’m in the village,” he said.

The emissions not only destroyed his crops, but also affected his family’s health.

“My children and some members of my immediate family were affected by the chemical emission, and we had to seek medical treatment,” he said.

Atabor lamented KRPC’s failure to notify the community before releasing the chemical, which he said would have allowed them to take necessary precautions.

“We know we couldn’t have stopped them from releasing the chemical, but they ought to have told us so we could have taken the necessary precautions for protection,” he said.

The incident has left the community in distress, with many residents seeking medical treatment for the harmful effects of the chemical discharge.

“We woke up one morning to find our farms destroyed, our animals dying and our children struggling to breathe,” Mrs Sarah John, a community leader, told The PUNCH.

“We didn’t know what was happening until we saw the refinery’s pipes leaking toxic substances into our environment.”

The KRPC’s failure to notify the residents and take necessary precautions has raised concerns about the company’s maintenance culture and commitment to environmental safety.

“They have a responsibility to ensure their operations don’t harm the environment or the community. It’s time for them to take responsibility and make amends,” Dr. Yusuf Mohammed, an environmental expert, said.

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency confirmed that preliminary findings point to ruptured pipes as the source of the toxic emission.

The Kaduna State Government has promised to take action, but the community remains skeptical. “We’ve heard promises before, but nothing changed,” Mrs John added.

“We want concrete action, not empty promises. Our lives are at stake.”

Akpan Bassey, 67, a retired staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, urged the management of KRPC to quantify the losses themselves.

“Let them come and see the destruction caused by the chemical on our farms.”

Pastor Akiola Olunoade, a resident, who also lost his crops, added, “We are appealing to the Federal Government to help us. We have lost everything: our farms, crops and livelihoods. We need help to restore our lives.”

Some Civil Society Organisations demanded an immediate cleanup and detoxification of Kapam.

Environmental Rights Action, Health of Mother Earth Foundation and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation, in a joint statement, decried KRPC’s failure to notify its host community of the release of noxious chemicals into the atmosphere, knowing the danger such powerful chemicals posed to their health, crops and livestock.

Standing in solidarity with the community, the CSOs referenced research showing that refineries often had adverse effects on the health and environment of host communities due to air pollution caused by routine gas flaring and the emission of large amounts of pollutants such as BTEX compounds, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, during the processing of crude oil.

“These often result in acid rains and black soot such as has been experienced by the Ubeji community in Delta State near the Warri Refinery. These pollutants can cause respiratory problems, including asthma, and bronchitis, and increase the risk of heart disease and lung cancer. Other harms in the form of occasional oil spills onsite or offsite can pollute water bodies including the groundwater and rivers/streams, while improper disposal of some hazardous wastes, and accidental fire outbreaks as oil refineries store large quantities of flammable materials, can pose a significant risk of fire and explosion in an environment with shallow risk or disaster management system,” the group stated.

According to Marian Oruvwuje, Deputy Executive Director of ERA, the issue of compensation “begs the question, as not everything can be compensated. How do you pay for the ill health or death of a loved one, for example, the time and money spent on the farms, and the mental health of the people? Over and above the compensation, we say, ‘DO NO HARM!’