At the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company on Monday, women from the Nissi, Kapam, and Rido communities demonstrated against suspected chemical pollution that has allegedly affected their livelihoods, agriculture, and health.
Arriving outside the refinery as early as 6:00 a.m., the demonstrators charged the company with allegedly leaking a toxic chemical in August 2024 that caused widespread disease, agricultural destruction, and livestock deaths.
According to Mrs. Juliana Abrak, the women’s leader of the Nissi community, the chemical emissions have made farming impossible and left many locals hungry and ill.
“We are suffering. There is no food, and we have to go elsewhere in search of something to eat. We have fertile land, but we are too afraid to farm,” she lamented.
She further blasted the company for allegedly ignoring the demonstrators, even though they had been on the property since 5:00am.
Mrs. Kelita Yaguda, a Kapam resident, described her personal encounter with the alleged chemical exposure.
“They took some of us to the hospital but only gave us paracetamol and ulcer medication. They promised to treat us for a week but only attended to a few people for two days,” she said.
The neighbourhood has been left to deal with persistent health problems and growing food shortages since no medical test was done, Yaguda continued.
“Some of our children have even resorted to stealing out of hunger. We are more than 500 people, yet fewer than 50 received any form of assistance,” she added.
A women’s leader from Kapam, Mrs Lydia Moses, said that KRPC officials had repeatedly claimed compensation would be provided by authorities in Abuja, but no support had materialised.
“They came in December, documented the damage, and promised a response within two weeks. It’s now May, and nothing has been done. Our crops have failed, our livestock have died, and some women have even suffered miscarriages,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that, as at the time of filing this report, KRPC officials had yet to respond to the protesters.
(NAN)
