By Oluwakemi Kindness
The House of Representatives has demanded urgent action to end the gas seepage that has persisted for about nine months in Bille Community, Rivers State.
The House Committee on South-South Development Commission also commenced an investigation into an oil spill affecting Odidi Federated Community in Delta State, which has reportedly continued for more than five months.
Committee Chairman, Rep. Julius Pondi, made the demand on Thursday during a stakeholders’ engagement on the Bille incident and a legislative hearing on the Odidi oil spill in Abuja.
Pondi said the prolonged incidents had exposed host communities to serious environmental and economic challenges.
He said the committee would move beyond discussions and push for clear resolutions, defined responsibilities and measurable timelines to address both incidents.
NOSDRA Confirms Multiple Gases in Bille
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, confirmed the presence of hydrogen sulphide, methane, volatile organic compounds and carbon dioxide in Bille.
A Director of NOSDRA, Dr. Yusuf Rigasa, said the agency detected what it described as multi-point subsurface gas bubbling in several locations, including the premises of a government primary and secondary school.
He said the school had subsequently been abandoned.
NOSDRA also found elevated levels of the gases during an air-quality assessment conducted across 19 stations in December 2025.
Rigasa said laboratory analysis further detected elevated levels of total petroleum hydrocarbons in groundwater, surface water and sediment samples.
He said the findings showed that parts of Bille’s soil, surface water and groundwater had been affected by pollution.
Cause of Seepage Yet to Be Established
NOSDRA said preliminary technical findings suggest the gas could be biogenic, resulting from the degradation of organic matter.
However, the agency stressed that it had not established that the gas was from a hydrocarbon source.
Rigasa said NOSDRA had also been unable to identify an oil and gas operator responsible for the seepage.
He said the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, had found no record of pipelines in the immediate areas where the gas bubbling was occurring.
A reservoir survey is reportedly ongoing to determine whether the seepage is connected to an underground hydrocarbon reservoir.
Bille Residents Report Water and Livelihood Crisis
The Bille Kingdom Chiefs Council said the seepage has disrupted fishing activities and affected access to safe water.
Secretary-General of the council, Luckyman Egbila, said the incident began on November 6, 2025, in the community’s mangroves.
He said residents had repeatedly contacted regulatory authorities but were yet to receive a permanent solution or full reports of investigations conducted.
Egbila appealed for urgent provision of potable water, saying residents depend heavily on the affected environment for their livelihoods.
He also said pupils had been moved from the affected school because of concerns over exposure to the emissions.The Rivers State Government has provided ₦100 million in palliatives, according to Egbila, but he said the intervention had not resolved the underlying crisis.
Reps Probe Delta Oil Spill
Meanwhile, the House committee is investigating the oil spill affecting Odidi Federated Community in Delta State.
Pondi said the hearing will establish the cause of the spill, when it occurred and was reported, the containment measures taken and the extent of environmental damage.
The committee will also examine the status of remediation and why the spill has reportedly remained unresolved for more than five months.
Pondi said the House would approach both cases objectively, with the aim of establishing the facts, promoting accountability and facilitating lasting solutions.
He warned that the proceedings must not end with promises without implementation.
The committee chairman said affected communities deserved prompt intervention, effective remediation and meaningful relief, stressing that environmental protection must go hand in hand with the development of the Niger Delta’s natural resources.
