BILLE COMMUNITY IN DELTA CRIES OUT SIX MONTHS AFTER GAS LEAK, DEMANDS URGENT FEDERAL INTERVENTION

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Residents of Bille community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have raised alarm over the lingering impact of a gas leak affecting parts of an Oil Mining Lease, six months after the incident.

The community said it continues to grapple with serious health challenges, contaminated water sources, and environmental degradation, calling on the Federal Government and relevant agencies to intervene urgently.

The appeal was made on Tuesday during a news briefing in Port Harcourt, where a documentary titled “From Extraction To Eruption: Oil, Gas And The Unfolding Environmental And Health Crisis In Bille Kingdom”, produced by Social Action, was presented.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Bille Kingdom Council of Traditional Rulers, Bennett Okpokiye-Dokubo, called for coordinated action from the Federal Government and oil companies operating in the area.

He outlined urgent measures, including the provision of potable water, independent environmental and gas risk assessments, deployment of mobile health services, containment of hazardous zones, and possible evacuation if conditions worsen.

While acknowledging the N100 million support provided by the Rivers State Government, Okpokiye-Dokubo stressed that financial aid alone was insufficient.

“The magnitude of the crisis being faced by the people of Bille… is much more than what money can cover,” he said.

Also speaking, Secretary of the Bille Kingdom Council of Chiefs, Luckyman Egila, urged regulators, international bodies, and development partners to hold oil operators accountable.

“Communities like Bille… cannot now be left to bear the cost of its consequences alone,” he said.

Reacting to the development, Programme Manager at Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Kentiebe Ebiaridor, expressed concern that no company had taken responsibility for the affected pipelines months after the incident.

Presenting findings from the documentary, Resource Justice, Democracy and Governance Manager at Social Action, Prince Edegbuo, described the situation as a growing environmental and public health crisis.

He warned that gas was bubbling in community water sources, including wells, exposing residents to risks through drinking water, skin contact, and inhalation.

The report called for immediate and transparent investigations by regulators such as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency.

It also urged the establishment of a coordinated incident response structure and enforcement of the “polluter pays” principle to ensure responsible parties bear the cost of cleanup, remediation, and compensation.

Stakeholders warned that without urgent intervention, the situation in Bille could escalate into a full-scale environmental and humanitarian crisis.