The discharge of waste by a Chinese-controlled company, BioTech Cassava Processing Company, into the Benue River in Angbaaye Community, Benue State, has caused a slew of problems for residents of the host community while depriving fishermen and farmers of their only source of livelihood.
Terfa Tsavbee, who’s in his early fifties, was furious when two of his children were diagnosed with food poisoning by a medical doctor in Vyonku Clinic and Maternity, Abinsi. Tsavbee resides in Bezu village, part of the Angbaaye community in Benue State.
He explained that the two children were rushed to the nearby hospital when he learned that they were vomiting and stooling after eating fish picked from the community river. The situation led to the children being admitted to the hospital for a couple of days, costing him fortunes from the little he earns as a fisherman.
"On that fateful day, my wife and I were not present, and my mother-in-law was visiting, so two of my children between the ages of eight and ten years went to the river as usual, saw some fish floating on the water close to where the factor discharges its waste into the river, and they picked them home so my mother-in-law cooked the fish they all ate, and after eating, all of them started stooling for my children; they were vomiting as well to the point where I had no choice than to rush them to the nearby clinic at Abinsi and they were admitted.”
According to a parent, Terfa Tsavbee, the nearby river is the major source where his family and other community members get water for domestic use but has been a major concern for them since the establishment of Pure Bio Tech cassava processing company.
This reporter gathered that Indiscriminate discharge of industrial waste into the river by a Chinese ethanol producing company hosted by Angbaaye has been threatening human and aquatic lives in that environment.
The community with over three thousand residents also reeks of a stench odour as a result of the polluted river that surrounds the community. Apart from the effluent discharged into River Benue and its tributaries that contaminate the water bodies and kill crops within the area, this reporter during a separate visitation to another neighboring town was greeted by a choky and strong nostril irritating smell that caused him slight headache.
In early November when this reporter visited Igbauke, a neighboring community, about five kilometers down the site of the factory, It was gathered that the situation is no different to Angbaaye as offensive smell emitted from the factory filled the air, a situation that compel residents to gasp for fresh air.
This situation has posed the residents of these communities to different health implications, economic crisis, hunger and environment and soil degradation.
Effluents kill fishes, put fishers at loss
Isaac Iorbee, a resident of Angbaaye community is one of the affected fishermen in the area as he expressed his dissatisfaction since the company was established in 2021. According to him, the economic importance of the river has now been cut short due to the constant discharge of waste and toxic chemicals in the river.
Beyond the loss, Iorbee had also sustained severe burns when he slipped into the river and made contact with the toxic substances in October. He stressed that he still nurses the burn, making it hard to carry on with daily activities.
Another Fisherman Aondofa Amozua told this reporter that the effluent has led to loss of revenue and profit as most of the fishes he catches are dead, noting that the community has been facing serious challenges of water scarcity since the factory was established about a year ago.
He added that with the hours he spends in water virtually everyday would cause harm to his body as the toxic permeate the skin.
"We were using the water from the river, but when they started discharging the effluent into the river, it is not good for drinking anymore because the water looks dirty with a dust-like substance." The waste is discharged in large quantities, so it is blocking some tributaries of the river where we carry out vegetable farming during the dry season.
"With the harm this is causing, we are becoming worried about staying in that river to carry out fishing." "We cannot just relocate because every family has its portion where they will fish."
According to him, the community youths in the area always mobilize and block the passage of the liquid from leaking into the river, but their efforts always prove abortive after a few days.
"We are actually worried because some of the workers warn us that the toxins are harmful." They don't like us operating in the area. "We are helpless, and we cannot take action."
Might Lead to Environment Degradation, Affects Farmers
Farmers and village residents who spoke with this reporter disclosed that the effluent has been affecting the growth of their crops. According to a farmer who prefers his name not be mentioned, their crops have been affected by the toxic release from the company, as the River Benue is the only water source for the farmers in that community.
The effluent from cassava processing companies, when discharged into an agricultural water source, is believed to cause physio-chemical changes in the soil and plant. This affects the growth of the plants and further degrades the entire land.
A Lecturer in Soil Science Department at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi who specializes in Soìl and Water Management, Doctor Samuel Wuese, explained that the effluents washed into River Benue towards the intake of Greater Makurdi Water Treatment Plant if not adequately treated would lead to the plant sucking the toxins that could affect the health of people taking the water.
Dr. Wuese added that Industrial effluent has always been an issue if not well handled would likely cause negative effects on the soil, the water and the surrounding air.
“For the soil, it depends on the materials, like this Pure Bio Tech they are processing cassava so we are likely going to expect that there will be high signing concentrations, there will be PH variations in the adjoining soil which could either increase acidity or alkalinity, depending on what the soil test will reveal.
"If the treatment of water at the treatment plant is not adequate, then the plant will just be sucking in part of the effluent from the plant, which can also affect the health of the people consuming the water." "Now, the surrounding air too will have air-related gasses that, until you are able to exhaustively analyze the air, you may not be able to know, and some of these gasses will be poisonous to health."
Dr. Wuese further stressed that the discharge of toxic substances into the water or land will have negative impacts on farmers in the affected areas.
"Those who cultivate crops behind the plant are likely to have bad water from the effluent entering their fields." They are going to have issues. If the nutrients are the ones that are required by crops, then the nutrients can become excessive, which will have a negative effect on crop production and lead to overproduction of vegetation with little or no yield.
"It depends also on the chemicals used in processing the effluents; those chemicals too can become available in the soil and eventually in water, and if they are taken up by crops, which has a high probability of happening, then it is going to have a far-reaching effect beyond that environment because some of the crops cultivated there are vegetables, which easily pick up nutrients in the soil, both positive and negative, and when the crops are sold in the markets, you cannot be sure of who is affected or not." Everyone who consumes it is affected. It's a big issue. In general, the likelihood of micronutrients in soil and water being affected is high.
Community Youth Leader cries out, says the factory aggravates potable water challenge
In an interview with the Bezu Community youth leader, Joseph Kaduna, said the community has been facing the menace of water scarcity since the 2021 when the company was established, stating that many boreholes and hand dug wells in the community have dried up.
“The people used to take water from the river but the water is contaminated. We now see dead fish and snakes in water around the area which shows that human life is also at risk here. As the company sank many boreholes our hand dug wells have dried up.”
“We complained to them and they promised one borehole for the community but it has long been abandoned. As the dry season has come now we can't get water in the community.”
According to the youth leader, the dust emanating from the company is posing the villagers to many health implications as they have recorded cases of stomach upset, headache and cough.
“We are facing a problem of water and many other challenges since the company came. As the company started production many people in the community are becoming sick because of the dust emanating from the company.
“The air around the community and its environs is polluted and cases of stomach upset, headache and cough were rampant in the community.”
Health Implication
Chemical spillage and discharge into a water source has been discovered to cause serious health issues amongst residents of any affected community.
According to a study by Niwa, the impacts of chemical contaminants can’t be overemphasized as it has a serious effect on consumers of the water.
Few of the effects as explained by Niwa are decreased dissolved oxygen, turbidity increase and food poison.
“Decreased dissolved oxygen (DO) levels - waste compounds released into waterways initiate biochemical reactions that use up oxygen as the stream bacteria break down the organic matter (Biogeochemical Oxygen Demand, BOD).
“Some contaminants, such as mercury, may bioaccumulate in animal tissues and be carried to human consumers of the fish,” Niwa wrote
BioTech denies polluting rivers…
When contacted, Corporate Communication and Public Relations Manager of Pure BioTech Company Nigeria Limited Mr. Stephen Numbeve denied the allegation raised, adding that the sewage treatment plant of the company is the best in the country.
“Anything that is being released out there is natural, it is treated to the barest minimum. To the best of my understanding there is nothing on land that is harmful. When you talk about the waters, water there is not contaminated because what is released there is not harmful and is not contaminated.”
He also stated that there may be some odour in the environment but noted that it is not offensive.
Mr. Numbeve said the company was aware of the water challenge and has sunk one borehole with the view to providing more. “We have acquired all land behind the factory because we know that the water released is more than one hundred degrees hot so if anyone dip leg in water in our land, it's left for him.” He told this reporter
Numbeve added, “One of our corporate social responsibilities is to sink boreholes to the community. We are aware that there may be shortages of water due to the establishment of the plant because the plant is water consuming and as a result when the complaint started coming up we have already started addressing that. If you go opposite the factory, there is a church called NKST Bezu. We sank a borehole there for people to access water there.
“The truth remains that anything behind the factory is our land. The reason why we acquired that land is that we know what we will be released would be very hot. It's hot water that we release. The water is more than a hundred degree celsius before it is released. So if you go into our land and dip your leg into it, it's left for you.”
A close source from National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Benue State Field Office who pleaded anonymity said the agency only visited during the pre-production period to issue guidelines on Environmental Impact Assessment but has not followed up on effluent assessment and was not sure that guidelines were not followed about one year it resumed full operation while officials could not respond despite official communication and calls to the agency explaining that they were yet approval from headquarters.
Officials at another regulatory agency, National Inland Waterways Authority, also declined comments.
This investigation is produced by Safer-Media Initiative with the support of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under The Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, inclusivity and Accountability Project (C-Media Project) funded by the MacArthur Foundation.