A coalition of civil society organisations has urged the Federal Government to take proactive steps to address persistent gas eruptions in Bille, Rivers State.
The coalition, comprising the People’s Assembly and the Bille Working Group, made the call in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu. The letter was read to journalists on Thursday in Port Harcourt.
Reading the letter, the coalition’s convener, Dr Isaac Osuoka, said the gas eruptions had caused serious environmental and public health problems.
Osuoka, who is also executive director of Social Action, urged Tinubu to establish a presidential task force to investigate and contain the gas leak in Bille.
He also called for residents to be moved immediately to safe shelters and provided with clean water, food and healthcare.
Dr Emem Okon, executive director of the Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, said gas had been bubbling from the ground, creeks, boreholes and hand-dug wells in the community since October 2025.
She said the gas had triggered several fires and explosions, while residents had reported respiratory problems, vomiting and other illnesses associated with exposure to the emissions.
According to Okon, preliminary investigations by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had yet to identify the source of the gas.
Mr Kentebe Ebiaridor, coordinator of Oilwatch International, called for the publication of preliminary soil and water test results so residents could understand the nature and extent of the contamination.
He urged the Federal Government to deploy medical teams to screen and treat affected residents and immediately begin an independent study of the leak’s health impacts.
Ebiaridor also called for oil and gas operations around OML 18 and 24 to be suspended until the source of the leak was identified and the affected areas declared safe.
He urged the government to hold current and former operators of the oil leases accountable for environmental damage in the community.
Another speaker, Dr Bieye Briggs, urged the National Assembly to fast-track the NOSDRA Amendment Bill 2025 to provide the agency with statutory funding and stronger enforcement powers.
Briggs also urged the Federal Government to activate the regional Spill Command Centre and make the Upstream Remediation Fund available to address the Bille crisis and other affected communities in the Niger Delta.
