Social Action Nigeria, in collaboration with representatives of Bille Kingdom in Rivers State, has called for the immediate evacuation of residents from areas affected by persistent gas spillage in the community following the death of a woman injured in a September 3 explosion.
The organisation made the demand yesterday in Port Harcourt, at a press conference on the unfolding environmental and public safety concerns in Bille, Degema Local Government Area.
Joy Amos, who sustained severe burns when an explosion occurred inside her room at Opu Ibiila Community on September 3, reportedly died on September 22 after receiving treatment in Port Harcourt.
The incident has renewed calls for an independent investigation into the source of the gas emissions and the circumstances surrounding the explosion.
Social Action Nigeria said the latest incident followed months of reports of gas bubbling and seepage from wells, residential areas, waterways and other locations in Bille.
Previous reports by civil society organisations and media outlets have also documented concerns about gas emissions in the community since 2025.
At the conference, the organisation called on the Federal Government, Rivers State Government and relevant regulatory and security agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation into Amos’s death and make the findings public.
It also urged authorities to release relevant environmental test results and technical findings from investigations previously conducted in the community.
Among its demands were the immediate deployment of medical teams to Bille, provision of emergency healthcare and safe water, and the identification of temporary evacuation centres for residents in areas confirmed to be at risk.
The group further called for compensation for families affected by the crisis and urged regulators to establish responsibility for the reported gas emissions before any enforcement or legal action is taken.
Social Action Nigeria also appealed to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and other relevant agencies to publish their findings on the reported seepage.
The organisation said the death of Amos had raised the urgency of resolving the crisis, stressing that residents should not be left exposed while investigations continue.
Earlier reports showed that civil society groups had warned of the potential for further explosions and called for emergency intervention in Bille.
In August, a report by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) said elevated levels of methane, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide had been detected in parts of the community, while government investigations had also reported contaminated groundwater and polluted air.
The latest demands come amid continuing calls from community representatives and environmental groups for government agencies to identify the source of the emissions, protect residents and establish appropriate remediation measures.
Social Action said the “priority should now be the protection of lives, transparent investigation of the incidents and urgent measures to reduce the risks faced by residents of Bille”.
