By Sandra Kenneth
The House of Representatives Committee on South-South Development Commission has demanded urgent intervention to end a prolonged gas seepage in the Bille community of Rivers State, following technical reports revealing toxic gas emissions and widespread pollution.
The parliamentary panel also directed relevant authorities and operators to take immediate, concrete measures to clean up a major oil spill impacting the Odidi Federated Community in Delta State, which has persisted for over five months.
Speaking on Thursday during an urgent stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja, Committee Chairman Hon. Julius Pondi emphasized that both incidents reflect the deep-seated environmental and economic distress endured by oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.
Pondi expressed concern that the gas leak in Bille, located in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, has lingered for nearly nine months without a definitive solution.
“The implications are serious. Beyond the potential risks to health, safety, and the environment, the incident has imposed severe economic hardship on the people of Bille,” Pondi said. “It is unacceptable for an incident of this magnitude to persist for so long without a clear, time-bound, and effective resolution strategy. We want to move from prolonged discussion to concrete action.”
The committee called for comprehensive briefings from operating companies, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to identify accountability and establish an emergency response plan.
Hazardous Gas Levels and Abandoned Schools
Providing a technical update, NOSDRA Director Dr. Yusuf Rigasa confirmed the presence of dangerous atmospheric contaminants across Bille, including hydrogen sulphide, methane, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide.
Rigasa reported that investigations detected “multi-point subsurface gas bubbling” throughout the area. The situation forced the complete abandonment of the local Government Primary and Secondary School. Gas bubbling was also verified along surrounding waterways and mangrove swamps.
Air quality testing across 19 monitoring stations recorded pollutant levels far exceeding statutory safety thresholds. Furthermore, laboratory tests conducted on groundwater, surface water, and sediment samples revealed high concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons.
Despite confirming severe environmental contamination, NOSDRA noted that technical investigations have not yet conclusively linked the gas leaks to oil and gas operations in the area.
