Hundreds of residents from the Kapam community in Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State, staged a protest at the entrance of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) on Friday. The protesters, predominantly women, demanded compensation for damages caused by a toxic chemical discharge from the refinery, which they claim has devastated their community.
The protest, which began at dawn, saw demonstrators carrying placards and displaying dead crop leaves to symbolize the destruction of their farms and the death of their animals due to the chemical discharge. The protesters also voiced concerns about the significant health risks posed by the toxic exposure.
Placards carried by the protesters bore messages such as: “KRPC has completely destroyed our crops,” “KRPC has poisoned us with toxic chemicals,” “Kapam Community in danger: KRPC’s actions are devastating us,” and “KRPC has ruined our lives. We will not tolerate this!”
Rose, one of the protestors and a mother, tearfully described the impact on her community: “Our children are suffering because of the negligence of KRPC. They inhaled the toxic chemical and now they are lying in the hospital, fighting for their lives. We can’t afford to lose them. We demand justice and compensation for our suffering.”
Another distressed woman pleaded with KRPC to address the community’s urgent needs. “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.”
Community leaders estimate that the chemical discharge, which occurred on Tuesday, has caused financial losses amounting to millions of naira. They also accuse the refinery of neglecting the host community by failing to provide essential services such as schools, hospitals, electricity, and basic healthcare facilities.
Jatau, a community leader, expressed their frustration, stating, “We have endured years of neglect, but this latest incident has pushed us to the breaking point. We demand comprehensive compensation for our losses and immediate action to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of the refinery’s operations.”
As of now, the management of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company has not responded to the protesters’ demands or issued any statements regarding the situation.