Kaduna Refinery gas leak: Residents decry negligence by company

The Gbagyi Development Union (GDU), Kaduna State, has expressed dismay that over two weeks after the hydrogen fluoride gas – a dangerous toxic and corrosive chemical element – was accidentally emitted into the atmosphere by staff of Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Corporation (KRPC), the company has refused to respond to the health challenges posed to residents of Kafam.

The union noted, “Despite the concern displayed by federal agencies namely National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the management of KRPC insists it will act only after tests are concluded.”

A statement issued by Barr. Ishaya Tanko Damina, president of the union, explained that the August 28, 2024 incident is not the first as six other spills have been recorded since the 1990s, resulting in devastation of farmlands and the loss of aquatic life in surrounding streams and River Romi.

He further lamented, “The attitude of the KRPC management has been the same, that is, that of unconcern. It has never taken steps to remedy the situation or limit the chances of recurrence.”

The leadership of the union described the attitude of KRPC management as “arrogant, nonchalant, irresponsible and insensitive to the accident because Hydrogen Fluoride gas is highly toxic and corrosive”.

The group stressed that the impact of the emission include withering of plants and farm crops, contamination of well water (thereby affecting underground water, streams and rivers), difficulty in breathing (which occurred when members of the commissioner’s entourage visited Kafam) and sustained greenish stooling and vomiting as experienced by nine persons hospitalised on September 2, 2024.

“These impacts are similar to what happened in Japan (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) when the US dropped Hydrogen bombs during World War 11. Yet, despite being aware of the magnitude and danger to human life of what happened, the management of KRPC is unconcerned. This is because; a release of Hydrogen Fluoride gas requires emergency response,” he added.

The union, therefore, demanded, among other things, that the KRPC management should order immediate evacuation of the villagers to limit further exposure, commence clean-up exercise of the area and provide immediate medical care.

The group added that affected villagers should be decontaminated and offered effective specialist medical attention while appropriate environmental remediation should be undertaken.

The union equally suggested that there should be long time medical monitoring/surveillance of farmlands and humans to identify and manage the health effects of the incident, while surrounding communities should be educated about the dangers of hydrogen fluoride gas leaks and how to respond.

Soil and water bodies, according to the union, should be accorded immediate and adequate attention to clean up affected areas, while adequate compensation should be paid to victims and the loss of farm crops.

The union explained that residents are faced with mass deaths and future birth defects and deformity engendered by the attitude of the KRPC management.