Follow Us on Google
From Idu Jude, Abuja
The Federal Government has been urged to declare a state of emergency in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government, Rivers State, over persistent gas emissions and environmental degradation threatening the lives and livelihoods of residents.
The call was made by the Executive Director of the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafemi, yesterday in Abuja during the presentation of a documentary titled “Bille Is Highly Flammable.”
Akinbode said residents had, since October 2025, reported gas bubbling from their wells, compounds, creeks, mangrove swamps and school grounds, alongside polluted air, contaminated groundwater, fires and disruption to children’s education.
He said a CAPPA field visit to Bille on July 6, 2026, revealed serious health and economic consequences, including skin rashes, persistent itching, respiratory problems and vomiting.
“Imagine having to think twice before cooking or performing domestic activities in your own home because you do not know whether an invisible gas accumulating around you could ignite. That is the grim reality families in Bille now face,” he said.
According to him, residents now depend heavily on sachet water because the surrounding water sources are unsafe. He said a bag costs as much as N1,000, with some families requiring up to 10 bags daily.
Akinbode said investigations by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and relevant federal ministries reportedly detected elevated levels of methane, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide, as well as groundwater contamination and deteriorating air quality.
He criticised the government’s emergency response, noting that while sachet water and a fire truck had been provided, the truck donated by NNPC Ltd remained locked and unused because there was no trained operator or emergency crew.
Other News
He called for the immediate release of government test results, a comprehensive audit of oil and gas infrastructure in Bille, continuous access to safe water, free medical care
health surveillance, emergency-response plans and compensation for affected households.
“The people whose lives are affected must not be spectators in decisions about their own future. They must be at the centre of the investigation, the response and the solution,” he said.
Also speaking, Vice-President of the Bille Kingdom Youth Federation, Timothy Agunbiade, said the crisis had crippled the local economy and devastated aquatic life.
“The oil spillage in Bille has directly affected the aquatic life, and we now live with carbon dioxide and methane daily. This gas spillage is spreading by the day,” he said.
Agunbiade alleged that several government agencies had visited the community for investigations without any meaningful intervention.
A representative of the National Climate Change Council, Benedeth Ejiofor, described the situation as devastating and called for urgent action, while Celestine Akpubare urged the Federal Government to declare the gas leakage an emergency to save lives.
Stakeholders also called for stronger public advocacy and sustained pressure on government and relevant operators to provide lasting solutions to the crisis.
