Gas Eruption: CSOs Demand National Emergency in Rivers Community

. Raise alarm over alleged 11 deaths

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A coalition of civil society organisations under the platform of The People’s Assembly has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a national environmental and public health emergency in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, following persistent gas eruptions in the area.

The coalition alleged that the eruption which is still on as at the time of this report has allegedly claimed 11 lives and exposed residents to serious health risks.

The coalition also demanded the immediate relocation of residents to safer locations, emergency medical intervention and the release of funds to identify and contain the source of the gas leak, which has continued to bubble from creeks, boreholes, hand-dug wells, school grounds and residential compounds.

Speaking at a press conference organised by The People’s Assembly in Port Harcourt on Thursday, the Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre and co-convener of the Assembly, Dr Emem Okon, described the situation as a looming humanitarian disaster requiring urgent federal intervention.

Okon warned that continued government inaction could result in further loss of lives, stressing that the people of Bille should not be abandoned to face a potentially catastrophic environmental crisis.

She said, “This is a national emergency that cannot wait. Gas has been bubbling from the ground and water in Bille for about a year, contaminating the air and threatening the lives of residents. Families can no longer safely cook, drink their water or depend on fishing for their livelihoods.”

According to the coalition, the gas eruption, which reportedly began around October 2025, has resulted in repeated fires and explosions, with 11 deaths associated with the crisis and several residents reportedly suffering from vomiting, breathing difficulties and other illnesses.

The group said independent monitoring had detected unsafe levels of methane, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide in the community, raising concerns about the potential consequences of prolonged exposure.

It noted that the crisis had disrupted economic and social activities, particularly fishing, while the contamination of water sources and the rising cost of living had worsened poverty among residents.

The coalition’s concerns were contained in an open letter addressed to President Tinubu, the President of the Senate, the Ministers of Health and Environment, and the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, among other federal authorities.

The letter, issued by The People’s Assembly and Bille Working Group, a coalition convened by Social Action and its partners, called for the establishment of a presidential task force to investigate and resolve the crisis.

The group expressed concern that despite joint investigation visits by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the source of the gas eruption remained unidentified.

It also alleged that NOSDRA lacked adequate funding to undertake further investigations, mitigation and remediation.

The coalition disclosed that during a meeting with NOSDRA Director-General, Chief Chukwuemeka Woke, on October 17, 2026, the agency acknowledged the financial constraints affecting its response.

It further demanded the immediate publication of preliminary soil and water test results conducted by the regulatory agencies, insisting that residents had a right to know the substances contaminating their environment.

Dr Prince Edegbuo of Social Action, said the Federal Government must move beyond investigations and take decisive steps to protect the people.

He demanded the temporary relocation of residents, provision of safe shelters, clean drinking water, food and healthcare, pending independent confirmation that the community was safe for habitation.

The coalition also called for emergency funding for NOSDRA, activation of the regional Spill Command Centre and access to the Upstream Remediation Fund to address the crisis.

It urged the government to deploy fingerprinting technology to identify the source of the gas, audit active, idle and abandoned oil wells, pipelines and facilities within Oil Mining Leases 18 and 24, and temporarily suspend oil and gas operations in the affected areas until the source was identified and contained.

Meanwhile, Kentebe Ebiaridor of Oilwatch International called for stronger accountability in the oil and gas sector, warning against the growing practice of international oil companies selling their onshore assets without adequately addressing outstanding environmental liabilities.

The coalition also demanded that current and former operators of OMLs 18 and 24 be held jointly and severally liable pending the identification of the source of the gas eruption, with affected residents adequately compensated.

As part of its wider environmental justice campaign, The People’s Assembly announced the launch of its ‘No Clean-Up, No Vote’ campaign across the Niger Delta.

Edegbuo said the campaign would mobilise residents to demand clear, funded and time-bound environmental remediation plans from political parties and candidates ahead of future elections.

He said, “The Niger Delta has fed this country for over seven decades and has lost so much in return. Its people have waited long enough for promises to become action.

“Our message to every political party and candidate is simple: the people of the Niger Delta will support those who present clear and credible plans to clean up polluted communities, protect public health and hold oil companies accountable. Where there is no clean-up, there will be no vote.”

The coalition warned that the Bille crisis could become a national security emergency if left unresolved, urging the Federal Government to treat it as a priority rather than another environmental investigation.

It said resolving the crisis would also provide a framework for addressing similar environmental emergencies in communities such as Uzere, Alakiri, Rumuekpe and Aleto across the Niger Delta.