Residents Fear "Mass Deaths and Deformity" as Hydrogen Fluoride Spills Continue

Kafam, Nigeria – More than two weeks have passed since the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Corporation (KRPC) emitted Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) gas, a toxic and corrosive chemical, into the atmosphere, affecting the health and lives of residents in the neighboring village of Kafam, Kaduna State.

According to the Gbagyi Development Union (GDU), the KRPC staff’s accidental emission on August 28, 2024, is the sixth recorded spill since the 1990s. Each incident has led to widespread devastation of farmlands and the loss of aquatic life in surrounding streams and River Romi. Although federal agencies like the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) have expressed concern, the KRPC management continues to insist on concluding tests before taking any action to address the health challenges caused by the emission.

A statement from the union president, Barr. Ishaya Tanko Damina, describes the KRPC’s attitude as "arrogant, nonchalant, irresponsible, and insensitive" due to the corrosive and toxic properties of Hydrogen Fluoride gas. Residents who reside in the affected areas continue to face numerous health consequences, including the withering of plants and crops, contamination of well water affecting underground water, streams, and rivers, as well as difficulty breathing, followed by greenish stooling and vomiting, reported among nine persons hospitalized on September 2, 2024.

In light of the severity of these implications, the Gbagyi Development Union is calling upon the KRPC to promptly take immediate measures, which include evacuating affected communities, initiating a cleanup procedure, and providing timely medical care. Additionally, decontamination, effective specialized medical attention, long-term medical monitoring and surveillance for both farmlands and humans, and proper remediation should be considered essential.

As residents grapple with the risk of imminent "mass deaths and deformity" from past and ongoing exposure, calls for justice and timely accountability continue to resonate among families affected by the lack of swift response from KRPC.