By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives Committee on the South-South Development Commission has launched an investigation into the prolonged gas leak 0in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, expressing concern over the environmental and humanitarian consequences nearly a year after the incident first came to public attention.
At an interactive session held on Thursday at the National Assembly, lawmakers questioned officials of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) over the delayed response, conflicting official reports and the continued hardship faced by residents. 
In his opening remarks, Committee Chairman, Rep. Julius Pondi, said the investigation was intended to establish the facts surrounding the incident, evaluate the response of relevant agencies and identify measures to prevent a recurrence.
He said: “The Committee approaches this engagement with an open mind. Our objective is neither to prejudge any individual or institution nor to apportion blame without due process. Rather, we seek to establish the facts, identify operational or regulatory shortcomings, ensure every stakeholder is held accountable and make practical recommendations that will strengthen environmental governance and improve regulatory oversight.”
Presenting NOSDRA’s findings, the agency’s Director of Oil Field Assessment, Cyrus Nkangwang, told lawmakers that it first became aware of the unusual gas emissions in October 2025 after receiving reports from residents of Bille Community.
He explained that the investigations detected elevated concentrations of methane, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide, as well as groundwater contamination, deteriorating air quality and potential health risks for residents.
When the committee sought clarification on whether the emissions had stopped, NOSDRA admitted that the leak was still active.
Pondi asked:
“After this moment we speak, has this stopped leaking or is the leak still going on?”
The agency’s representative replied:
“It’s still leaking.”
Lawmakers also queried the apparent delay in responding to the incident despite repeated complaints from the affected community.
Explaining the circumstances, the NOSDRA official said:
“This incident is not the regular incident that attracts reportage. It is not from any facility. It is gas bubbling that enveloped the community… It started gradually and the community brought it to public attention before we became aware of it.”
Representing the NUPRC, Mr Joseph Olushola said the commission only became directly involved after a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on February 4, 2026.
“Our clear involvement started when that meeting was called. Before then, we had reports of investigations being carried out by NOSDRA. We also believed we should have been brought up to speed since the community had reported the incident”, he said.
He disclosed that joint investigations involving Renaissance Africa Energy, Newcross Exploration and Production, NNPC Eighteen Operating Limited and host community representatives confirmed methane emissions across approximately 1.5 kilometres of the community.
According to him, extensive field studies, laboratory analyses and geological investigations found no evidence linking the emissions to existing oil and gas infrastructure.
He explained that the evidence suggested the gas was migrating naturally from deep underground reservoirs.
“There is no relationship between the pipeline, the facility, to the signature and the structure of the gas seepage.
“This began to give an indication that this gas may be coming from deep reservoirs up to the surface. We therefore commenced detailed geological and geophysical investigations to determine the source, the trigger and the migration pathways”, he said.
Describing the incident as unusual, the NUPRC official added:
“This is novel. We have studied similar seepages around the world, but the expanse, the duration, the pressure of the bubbling and the fact that it is linked to almost every borehole and water well in Bille Community makes this a special occurrence.”
Lawmakers, however, questioned why residents had continued to suffer while investigations dragged on.
Pondi asked:
“From December to February when you got involved till now, what happened to the Bille people? Whose water has been affected? Who does not have clean water to drink? Whose farmland has been devastated? What remedial measures have you taken?”
In response, the commission said it had pursued both technical investigations and humanitarian interventions.
The commission disclosed that relief materials had already been distributed and that a medical outreach programme would begin within two weeks.
“No operator has been found culpable, but the industry decided to rally round as part of its corporate social responsibility.
“An integrated relief programme involving medical outreach, provision of potable water and safety management is ongoing while technical investigations continue”, he noted.
The regulator also acknowledged that the community’s environment had been adversely affected.
“The water is contaminated. Air is polluted. We visited and we felt it. You smell the odour”, he said.
Officials explained that temporary measures had been introduced to vent gas above rooftop level to reduce fire risks, but maintained that a lasting solution would depend on identifying and sealing the source of the seepage.
The hearing also revealed inconsistencies between reports submitted by the two regulatory agencies.
Committee members questioned a section of NOSDRA’s report indicating that the NUPRC had “no pipeline record in the area”, an assertion the commission firmly rejected.
“Emphatically, no. We have always had records of the pipelines, their operating status, pressures, temperatures and other operating parameters,” the NUPRC official said.
Asked to explain the discrepancy, NOSDRA maintained that the statement reflected discussions at an earlier stakeholders’ meeting but admitted it may have conveyed a misleading impression.
Several lawmakers criticised what they described as the slow pace of intervention.
One member remarked:
“Are we saying after eight months we cannot stop the leakage? If we cannot, then the only thing left is to relocate the village.”
Another urged the Federal Government to immediately involve the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), describing the situation as a humanitarian emergency.
The committee also questioned why the Environmental Remediation Fund established under the Petroleum Industry Act had not yet been deployed.
Responding, the NUPRC official said remediation could only commence after investigators identified the precise source of the gas seepage.
“Any attempt to conduct remediation now will be like plastering over cracks. We cannot begin remediation until we identify and stop the source”, he stated.
On the possibility of relocating residents, the commission revealed that it had advised the Rivers State Government to consider a managed evacuation pending the outcome of ongoing health and risk assessments.
“The laboratory analysis shows there are gases that should not normally be breathed. Government should consider a managed evacuation of the people pending further investigations”, he said.
Pondi assured residents that the House committee would sustain its oversight until a permanent solution was found, insisting that protecting lives, public health and the environment remained its foremost priority.
