Protesters in their hundreds from Kapam community in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State on Friday blocked the entrance to the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, KRPC, demanding compensation for damages caused by a toxic chemical discharge from the refinery.
The protesters, mostly women, carried placards, saying that the chemical discharge from the refinery had destroyed their farms, killed their animals, and posed a significant threat to their health.
Some of the placards had inscriptions that read, ‘KRPC has completely destroyed our crops’, ‘KRPC has poisoned us with toxic chemicals’, ‘Kapam Community in danger: KRPC’s actions are devastating us’, ‘KRPC has ruined our lives. We will not tolerate this!’, among others.
One of the protesters explained that the chemical discharge has had devastating impact on the community, saying that their children are suffering because of the negligence of KRPC.
“They (children) inhaled the toxic chemical and now they are lying in the hospital, fighting for their lives. We can’t afford to lose them,” he explained.
“We demand justice and compensation for our suffering. The refinery must take responsibility for their actions and ensure that this never happens again.”
A woman protester pleaded with KRPC to address the community’s plight, lamenting that the residents are worried about their health and have no access to medical care.
She added that their food is contaminated, and they are struggling to survive.
“KRPC needs to step in and provide us with the necessary assistance. We can’t do this alone,” she further lamented.
Other protesters stated that the financial losses caused by the chemical discharge ran into millions of naira.
They also alleged that the refinery has neglected the host community, citing a lack of essential services such as schools, hospitals, electricity and basic healthcare facilities.
The indigenes demanded comprehensive compensation for their losses and immediate action to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of the refinery’s operations.
The management of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company has remained silent on the protesters’ demands, and has yet to address the media or provide a statement regarding the situation as of the time of filing this report.