Education
CAPPA demands immediate action over bubbling gas in Rivers communities – EnviroNews
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Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), an NGO, has called for immediate action to address the gas bubbling and flooding affecting Bille Kingdom and its communities in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers.
The Executive Director of CAPPA, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, made the call on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, in Abuja while presenting a documentary and report titled “Bille is Highly Flammable.”
Oluwafemi described the report as a devastating account of the environmental crisis confronting Bille, an island community.
He said the predominantly riverine community depended largely on fishing, farming, trading and other water-related activities for the survival of its people.
He, however, said that the traditional way of life in the community was now under serious threat from environmental degradation and the reported gas emissions.
Oluwafemi said that during CAPPA’s visit to Bille on July 6, 2026, residents reported gas bubbling from wells, compounds, creeks, mangrove swamps and even school grounds.
He said residents also reported polluted air, contaminated groundwater, fires and disruptions to the education of children as a result of the unfolding environmental crisis.
The CAPPA executive director said families that had depended on the creeks for generations for fishing and other economic activities were finding it increasingly difficult to sustain their livelihoods.
According to him, residents complained of respiratory problems, vomiting and other illnesses which they associated with exposure to gas emissions.
Oluwafemi said the most disturbing aspect of the crisis was the fear among residents, who now had to worry about the possibility of invisible gas accumulating around their homes and igniting.
He described the situation as a grim reality for families in Bille, noting that ordinary domestic activity such as cooking has become asource of anxiety.
The CAPPA boss also recalled seeing a vessel at the waterfront loaded with bags of sachet water, reportedly among the few forms of relief provided to the community since the crisis began.
He said the relief was grossly inadequate for a community of thousands, despite Bille being surrounded by water.
Oluwafemi said that residents could no longer safely rely on surrounding water sources and had consequently become heavily dependent on sachet water for drinking, cooking, bathing and other domestic needs.
He said a bag of sachet water sold for as much as N1,000, while some families reportedly required up to 10 bags daily, creating an unbearable financial burden for many households.
“Bille’s coastal location has, over the years, exposed the kingdom to environmental challenges, including flooding, coastal erosion, pollution and degradation of aquatic ecosystems.
“The challenges have increasingly threatened the livelihoods, health and general well-being of residents, particularly those whose economic activities depend directly on rivers, creeks and swamps,” he said.
Oluwafemi expressed concern that the gas leakage reported in parts of the kingdom had created an alarming environmental emergency, with water bodies and swamps reportedly bubbling continuously.
He said the phenomenon had raised serious concerns about potential risks to human health, aquatic life, vegetation and the livelihoods of residents.
He, therefore, called for urgent investigation, comprehensive environmental assessment and immediate intervention by relevant government agencies, oil and gas operators and other stakeholders.
A resident and pastor in Bille Kingdom, Mr. Timothy Agunbiade, said the gas leakage began in 2025 and had continued to spread, with new locations reportedly developing bubbling activity.
Agunbiade said the pungent smell associated with the phenomenon was becoming increasingly noticeable and was affecting residents’ health.
He said that places that were not bubbling during CAPPA’s July 6 visit were reportedly affected subsequently.
He also recounted his wife’s experience with recurring rashes and said the situation had heightened concerns about the effects of the environmental crisis on residents.
Agunbiade urged the Federal Government to recognise the situation as an emergency, provide immediate medical attention to affected residents, particularly children.
He urged the government to develop a permanent solution to the gas leakage and its associated environmental and health problems.
By Deji Abdulwahab
