Health Crisis Looms In Rivers Community As Gas Bubbles Spread

… Amnesty International Demands Urgent Govt Action

Residents of the Bille community located in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have raised serious concerns over persistent gas bubbling across different parts of the area, calling on the Federal Government and relevant agencies to urgently intervene.

Community leaders said the strange bubbling has been observed around the community for months, sparking fears of possible health and environmental dangers for residents.

According to them, several letters have been sent to government agencies and oil companies since November, but no clear explanation has been provided about the cause of the phenomenon.

They disclosed that petitions were addressed to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Newcross Exploration and Production Limited, the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, and even the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Community representative explained that officials from some of the agencies have visited the area on several occasions to collect samples and carry out tests.

However, the residents said that despite these visits, no official report has been released to inform them about the cause of the gas emissions or possible solutions.

They expressed fears that prolonged exposure to the gases could lead to serious health problems, including respiratory illnesses and cancer, noting that locals have continued inhaling the fumes without knowing the level of danger.

The community also raised concerns about the possibility of relocation, noting that Bile is surrounded by rivers and lacks large expanses of land where residents could easily be resettled.

In addition to the environmental concern, residents lamented the lack of basic amenities in the community, particularly electricity and potable water.

They said many residents depend on shallow dug wells for drinking water, which often dry up during certain seasons, making access to clean water a major challenge.

Amnesty International has also called on the Federal Government to urgently investigate a series of gas leaks reported in the Bille community in Rivers State, warning that the situation poses a serious threat to the lives and health of residents.

In a statement, the human rights organisation said the suspected methane leaks had been contaminating drinking water sources and affecting the well-being of people in the coastal community in the oil-producing Niger Delta.

According to the group, fishermen in Bille first noticed unusual bubbling in October 2025 while working in a mangrove swamp and nearby river several kilometres from the town. The bubbling water was accompanied by a strong sulphurous smell.

Amnesty International Nigeria’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, described the situation as deeply concerning and warned that the problem could worsen if authorities fail to act quickly.

“The alarming number of reports of gas leaks across the Bille community is harrowing, and the affected area appears to be expanding,” Sanusi said.

He added that the leaks had already begun to affect residents’ access to clean water and also disrupted activities in the community.

“The leaks are already contaminating the town’s drinking water, while some children at a local school have had to relocate after falling ill and experiencing vomiting,” he said.

Sanusi stressed that the Nigerian government has both a legal and moral obligation to safeguard residents from environmental harm and potential human rights violations

“The government must immediately identify the source of the leak and stop it, or take other measures to secure the community from a potentially catastrophic incident,” he said.

The suspected leak sites are located close to several oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta, including pipelines and oil wells previously operated by Shell before the company divested from onshore operations in Nigeria in 2025.

However, the precise source of the methane leak remains unknown as investigations into the incident have yet to be concluded.
In December 2025, officials of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency conducted air-quality tests at different locations within the affected area.

According to Amnesty International, the results showed that methane levels at one of the sites were about 10,000 times higher than normal background levels.