Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has raised concerns over the death of a 29-year-old woman, Joy Amos, who sustained severe burns in a gas explosion in Bille, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Amos died on Tuesday, September 22, after she was transferred to Port Harcourt for further medical treatment.
The explosion occurred on September 3 at about 8 a.m. inside her room at Opu Ibiila Community, reportedly damaging parts of the building and shattering its windows.
CAPPA said Amos initially received treatment at a private clinic in Bille before being moved to Port Harcourt on September 12 following a call from a person identified as Dr. Ndubisi Akpu, who reportedly said the government would take responsibility for her treatment.
The organisation called for an independent investigation into her death, including an autopsy, given the reported environmental hazards in the area.
CAPPA said residents had continued to report gas-like odours and bubbling sounds from beneath the floor of Amos’ room.
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The group noted that gas emissions had been reported across Bille since October 2025, with observations of emissions around wells, boreholes, homes, waterways and school premises.
It also expressed concern over other reported health incidents and household fires in the community.
CAPPA warned against residents collecting and using the unidentified gas to power generators or digging around their homes to access gas outlets, saying such practices could lead to explosions and poisoning.
The organisation’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, urged authorities to treat the situation as an emergency and establish a coordinated response involving environmental, medical and safety experts.
CAPPA also called for hazard mapping, medical screening, continuous environmental testing, public safety measures and evacuation of areas considered unsafe.
It further urged authorities to identify the source of the emissions, compensate affected residents and ensure proper remediation once investigations are concluded.
