By Toyin Victor, Abuja
ABUJA – Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, has called for urgent government action over worsening gas emissions in Bille community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, made the call in Abuja during the presentation of the organisation’s documentary and report, Bille Is Highly Flammable, which highlights the growing environmental and health crisis in the community.
CAPPA said residents have reported gas bubbling from wells, compounds, creeks, mangrove swamps and school grounds since October 2025, alongside polluted air, contaminated water, fires and disruptions to children’s education.
Oluwafemi said CAPPA’s field visit to Bille on July 6, 2026, revealed serious health concerns, with residents reporting respiratory problems, vomiting, persistent itching and other ailments.
He said the crisis has created fear among residents, who now worry about possible ignition while cooking or carrying out routine household activities. He added that government agencies had collected soil, water and gas samples from affected locations.
Vice President of the Bille Kingdom Youth Federation, Timothy Agunbiade, claimed that reported gas leakage points have increased from two when the crisis was first discovered to about 7,000, potentially threatening more than 70,000 residents.
Agunbiade also raised concerns over emergency preparedness, saying a fire truck donated to Bille by NNPC Limited remains unused because no trained operator or emergency crew has been assigned to operate it.
CAPPA said residents can no longer safely depend on traditional water sources and now rely heavily on sachet water, with a bag reportedly selling for as much as 1,000 naira. It called for immediate access to safe water, medical care, livelihood support and compensation for affected households.
The organisation is demanding the release of environmental test results, a comprehensive audit of oil and gas infrastructure in Bille and a coordinated emergency-response plan. CAPPA warned that the crisis is no longer only an environmental issue but a growing public-health, human-rights and environmental-justice emergency.