Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA has called for urgent government action over reported gas emissions in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, following the death of a 29-year-old resident, Ms Joy Amos.
Amos died on Tuesday, September 22, from severe burns sustained in a gas explosion inside her room on September 3. She was initially treated at a private clinic in Bille before being transferred to Port Harcourt on September 12 for further treatment.
CAPPA said the circumstances surrounding her death should be independently investigated, including through an autopsy, particularly amid reports that the room where the explosion occurred continues to produce an apparent gas-bubbling sound and noticeable gas-like odour.
The organisation said the incident was part of a wider emergency it had documented in Bille since October 2025.
According to CAPPA, a field visit in July found gas emissions around wells, boreholes, residential compounds, waterways and school grounds. It added that government investigations had reportedly detected elevated methane, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide levels, as well as groundwater contamination and poor air quality.
CAPPA also raised concerns over other reported incidents in the community, including the collapse of a woman who sustained a serious leg injury and the reported collapse of a teacher. It also cited two household fires reported in August and September.
The organisation warned against reports of residents collecting the emerging gas for generators or digging around their homes in search of gas outlets for domestic use, saying the practice could expose residents to explosions and poisoning.
CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, said Amos’ death should compel authorities to treat the situation as an emergency.
“Joy Amos did not have to die. Her death followed months of warnings, confirmed environmental hazards and repeated appeals for government intervention,” Ibeh said.
CAPPA called on the Federal and Rivers State governments and relevant environmental, health, petroleum and emergency agencies to establish a coordinated response involving independent experts.
It also demanded hazard mapping, evacuation of unsafe locations where necessary, medical screening for residents, continuous air, water and soil testing, and an immediate halt to unsafe gas collection and use.
The organisation further called for alternative electricity and cooking energy for affected households, public identification of the agency coordinating the response, and a clear timetable for investigation, medical intervention and remediation.
It said once the source of the emissions is established, authorities should ensure remediation, compensation for affected residents and legal accountability.