The House of Representatives has raised alarm over prolonged gas seepage in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, warning that continued exposure could result in a major environmental and public health disaster.
The warning was issued at a stakeholders’ engagement convened by the House Committee on the South-South Development Commission to address the crisis in Bille and a prolonged oil spill in Odidi Federated Community, Delta State.
The committee drew parallels with the 1986 Lake Nyos gas disaster in Cameroon, where a massive release of carbon dioxide killed more than 1,700 people. Although the Bille incident has not been established as a similar geological phenomenon, the comparison has heightened concerns over the prolonged gas emissions in the populated community.
The gas seepage according to some community leaders at the hearing, began in 2025, and has disrupted economic activities like fishing, limit access to clean water, education and healthcare with some Residents already reported skin rashes among children,
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The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, in it’s response confirmed the development to the committee that its assessment identified pollution affecting the air, surface water, groundwater, and sediments in Bille.
The House wants clear answers from the operating company, NUPRC, NOSDRA and other relevant agencies on the cause, extent and status of the seepage, with measurable timelines for intervention insisting that priority must guide their actions to prevent the Bille crisis from escalating into a catastrophe.
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(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
