Edith CHUKU
An Ogoni woman, Joy Amos, has narrowly escaped death after sustaining severe burns from an explosion caused by suspected gas leakage in Bille, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Narrating her ordeal, Amos revealed that she had frequently heard bubbling sounds beneath the floor of her apartment at night.
According to her, while lying on her bed using her phone, she suddenly heard a loud sound before the windows shattered and fire engulfed the room.
Her words: “I was in my room on the bed, using my phone, when I heard ‘poof!’ My windows shattered, and fire surrounded me.
“I grabbed my phone and power bank, the only things I remembered to take and ran out of the room naked.”
The Vice President of the Bille Kingdom Youth Federation, Timothy Agunbiade, who arrived at the scene shortly after the explosion, corroborated Amos’ account.
Agunbiade said the force of the explosion appeared to have travelled from inside the room outward, adding that the floor had been generating heat and appeared to be under pressure from beneath before the incident.
He said Amos had previously complained about bubbling sounds coming from beneath her room but had not reported the matter to her landlady.
Meanwhile, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa CAPPA, has raised the alarm over the incident.
CAPPA called on the federal and state governments to take immediate action to prevent further explosions and possible loss of lives in the community.
The latest explosion occurred at about 8 a.m. on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at No. 18, Opu Ibiila Community, Bille, just two weeks after CAPPA released a documentary and report titled Danger! Bille Is Highly Flammable, warning of worsening gas bubbling and seepage across the community.
CAPPA said that during a visit to Bille on July 6, it documented gas emissions from wells, boreholes, residential compounds, waterways and school grounds, and warned that continued government inaction could result in a major disaster.
Reacting to Amos experience, CAPPA said video footage obtained by the organisation showed Amos in serious pain and in need of urgent specialist medical attention.
It called on the state government to ensure that she receives immediate treatment and that all medical and rehabilitation expenses related to the incident are covered.
CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, described the latest incident as evidence that Bille was facing an escalating emergency that required more than official visits and sample collection.
“Whatever the investigation ultimately establishes as the source of these emissions, the failure to protect Bille after months of warnings is indefensible.”
CAPPA demanded the immediate suspension of all oil and gas activities in and around Bille pending investigations into the source of the bubbling and seepage and independent confirmation that the community is safe.
The organisation also called for the deployment of emergency-response teams, evacuation of residents to safe temporary accommodation, continuous monitoring of air and water quality, and clear public guidance on the risks and necessary safety precautions.
It urged the State Government, National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and other relevant agencies to launch a transparent and coordinated investigation with the involvement of independent experts.
According to CAPPA, the investigation should identify the source of the emissions and assess all active, ageing, idle and abandoned oil and gas infrastructure in and around Bille, including wells, wellheads, pipelines and production facilities.
It further urged the authorities to isolate, resolve or decommission unsafe infrastructure without delay and publish all test results and investigative findings.
CAPPA also demanded that the government treat the situation as a public health emergency by providing specialist medical teams, emergency clinics, ambulance and hospital referral services, as well as free diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for affected residents.
The group called for the provision of safe water, compensation and livelihood support for households whose fishing and other sources of income had been disrupted.
“The authorities were warned. A woman has now been severely burned, while the people of Bille remain exposed to potentially dangerous gases,” Ibeh said.
“Government must move residents out of harm’s way, provide urgent medical care, identify and stop the source of the emissions, and account publicly for its response.”
CAPPA said the people of Bille had endured the consequences of oil and gas activities for too long and urged the government to act before the situation resulted in further injuries or deaths.
