Relatives of the eight persons who choked to death at Dankam, Plateau State, after they inhaled excessive chlorine gas that leaked into their apartments last year, have written a protest letter to Governor Simon Lalong, demanding compensation and apologies.

They gave two weeks for the governor to approve of the state government to meet the two demands, or they will instruct their lawyers to file for damages in a legal suit.

Apart from the eight persons who choked to death, over a hundred more, including pregnant women and children were hospitalized at various health facilities after they inhaled excess poisonous gas that leaked into their sleeping quarters from cylinders wrongly placed in the stores of the state water treatment plant, medical reports, as well as various committees have said. The incident happened on July 25, 2015.

After approx. 1 year, relatives of the deceased said in a letter made available to newsmen, that they are disappointed that the state government had continued to act in a manner suggesting it was in a hurry to forget the incident.

“We are disappointed that Plateau State Government has not considered reaching out to the relatives of the deceased for compensation,” the protest letter, signed by relatives of the eight deceased, said in part, demanding that the Government of Plateau State “make adequate compensation to all families of the Eight (8) deceased,” to accompany a formal apology to them.

“Failure of the Government of Plateau State to meet our demands in (i), and (ii), relatives of the deceased have resolved to instruct our lawyers to proceed to file for claims in a legal suit,” the letter said.

The protest letter listed the names of the deceased as Miss Brenda Adebayo, Miss Joy Azenna, Master Usman Aboi, Mrs. Christiana Babanle, Professor Olusola Adesite, Master Samuel Nwosu, Miss Ifelunwa Peace Achudume, and Miss Sonia Bigila.

Contacted, media aide to the governor, Emmanuel Nanle said he had not seen a copy of the letter, but explained that the disaster was not a deliberate act on the part of the state water board. He said the government was making plans to relocate the settlement from that point to avoid a reoccurrence.

The letter is titled, “Peaceful Protest Over the Killing of Eight (8) Persons at the Water Treatment Plant of the Plateau State Water Board…”

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Relatives of Chlorine death victims give PLSG ultimatum for compensation