The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, or NUPRC, is under pressure to explain why it hired a firm to investigate recurring gas seepage in Bille Kingdom, in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State. Residents are still worried about their safety and want answers.
Spaces for Change, an environmental and social justice organisation, has asked the NUPRC to show the name of the company, the company’s qualifications, how the investigation will be carried out, and when it will finish.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Victoria Ibezim‑Ohaeri, signed a statement saying that the investigation must do more than produce another report. It must lead to actions that protect residents and heal the damaged environment.
The gas seepage was first reported in October 2025. People are afraid of air and water pollution, possible explosions, and the damage to fishing and other local jobs.
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Residents also say they see bubbles in their water, smell bad odors, and have health problems such as vomiting and breathing issues. Amnesty International reported that tests done in December 2025 showed methane levels above normal.
The NUPRC had already said the situation was serious. It said early tests showed that the first aquifer was contaminated. The NUPRC promised to give residents water while it kept studying the problem.
In a hearing on October 22, 2026, the House Committee on South‑South Development Commission told the NUPRC to give reports on what it was doing to fix the crisis.
Spaces for Change now wants the NUPRC to publish the investigation results and set dates for emergency protection, cleaning up the environment, and holding people accountable.
For people in Bille, the main goal is simple: stop the gas seepage. Have a safe place to live.
