By Rasheeda Hamidu
The Federal Government has been urged to intensify its response to persistent gas seepage in Bille, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, after environmental investigators documented risks to water sources, livelihoods and public safety in the oil-producing community.
The call was made in Abuja on Wednesday, during a presentation of the documentary Bille Is Highly Flammable by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), according to the report.
CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the organisation’s field investigation found gas bubbling from wells, compounds, creeks, mangrove areas and a school ground in Bille.
CAPPA’s investigation, published on August 3, said its team visited Bille on July 6, 2026, and documented gas escaping from several locations across the community.
Oluwafemi said the crisis was affecting residents whose livelihoods have traditionally depended on fishing and other activities linked to the community’s waterways.
CAPPA reported that residents had also raised concerns about unsafe water, health problems and the risks associated with cooking near areas where gas was bubbling.
The organisation’s investigation quoted Bille resident Obuta Aaron Igani as saying residents were afraid to cook near affected areas because of the risk of ignition.
CAPPA also reported that a fire truck donated by NNPC Ltd was present in Bille but was not being used because the organisation found no trained operator or emergency crew assigned to it.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), however, has said its preliminary assessment found that the first aquifer in Bille had been contaminated and that further studies were required to determine the cause of the seepage.
NUPRC Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had engaged an international firm to undertake further studies, with fieldwork expected to commence before the end of July.
Eyesan also said technical experts from the oil and gas sector were working with the commission to address the situation and that regular updates would be provided to the community.
During the Federal Government’s July 1 visit to Bille, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, led a delegation that included NUPRC officials and representatives of oil and gas operators, according to the commission.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara told the delegation that the Federal Government was working to control the seepage and that requests for potable water, healthcare and firefighting support had been noted.
CAPPA has called for government agencies to make investigation results available to the public and ensure that affected residents are included in decisions concerning the response to the emergency.
The organisation also called for safe water, medical support, emergency-response capacity and measures to protect affected livelihoods while investigations into the source of the seepage continue.
NatureNews notes that the Bille emergency has environmental, public-health and livelihood implications because the reported seepage has affected groundwater and waterways in a community heavily dependent on its aquatic environment.
The Federal Government’s ongoing investigation and planned technical studies will be critical to establishing the source of the gas and determining appropriate long-term measures to protect Bille residents and its surrounding ecosystem.
