By Jane Okeke
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, has called for a state of emergency in Bille community, Rivers State, over worsening gas emissions, unsafe water and growing health risks threatening residents.
CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, made the call in Abuja during the presentation of the organisation’s documentary and report, titled Bille Is Highly Flammable, which documents the environmental crisis facing the island community.
According to CAPPA, 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 the severity of the crisis, with residents reporting respiratory problems, vomiting, persistent itching and other health challenges.
He said the gas emissions have also created widespread fear, forcing families to consider the risk of ignition before cooking or carrying out routine domestic activities. He added that relevant government agencies had collected soil, water and gas samples for analysis.
Vice President of the Bille Kingdom Youth Federation, Timothy Agunbiade, described the situation as a serious threat to the community. He claimed that the number of reported gas leakage points had risen from two when the problem was first discovered to about 7,000, potentially putting more than 70,000 residents at risk.
Agunbiade also raised concerns about the emergency response, saying a fire truck donated to Bille by NNPC Limited remains unused because no trained operator or emergency crew has been assigned to it. He called for an evacuation plan and the training of local emergency responders.
CAPPA further expressed concern over access to safe water, saying residents now depend heavily on sachet water for drinking, cooking and other domestic needs. The organisation said a bag reportedly sells for as much as 1,000 naira, with some households needing up to 10 bags daily.
CAPPA is demanding the immediate release of environmental test results, a comprehensive audit of oil and gas infrastructure in Bille, emergency healthcare, safe water, livelihood support and compensation for affected residents. The organisation also urged authorities to establish a clear action plan with defined responsibilities, funding and deadlines, warning that the crisis has become a public-health, human-rights, environmental-justice and corporate-accountability emergency.
