The prolonged gas and environmental crisis in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, has claimed its first reported fatality, with Social Action announcing the death of 21-year-old Miss Joy Amos.
Amos, a native of Bille, reportedly suffered severe burns when a fire broke out in her room on September 3, amid reports of gas bubbling beneath the floor and unusual heat and pressure in the area.
She was taken to a local maternity facility before later receiving treatment at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), where she was visited by a team from Social Action and the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).
According to Social Action, Amos battled the injuries for several weeks before she died on September 22.
Her death has renewed concerns over the safety of residents of Bille, where communities have for months reported unusual gas emissions, bubbling waterways, contaminated water sources and other signs of hydrocarbon pollution.
Social Action said it and its partners had repeatedly warned the Rivers State Government, regulatory agencies and other relevant authorities about what it described as the potentially escalating threat posed by the gas situation.
The organisation said its field investigation in Bille on March 25, 2026, documented gas bubbling from the ground, boreholes and water bodies, as well as environmental damage.
It also reported witnessing water that appeared clear turn charcoal black within seconds.
In an April 2026 report titled From Extraction to Eruption: Oil, Gas, and the Unfolding Environmental and Health Crisis in Bille Kingdom, Social Action linked the crisis to concerns surrounding ageing oil infrastructure, contamination of water sources, damage to livelihoods and potential fire and explosion risks.
The organisation subsequently brought the matter into the public domain at a press conference with Bille Kingdom leaders in Port Harcourt on April 28.
The Rivers State Government had earlier approved N100 million in immediate palliative support for affected residents, while Social Action also established an emergency relief appeal.
However, the organisation maintained that relief measures could not substitute for determining the source of the gas, assessing the risks and addressing the underlying environmental problem.
At a June 30 meeting with Social Action’s People’s Assembly, the Rivers State Zonal Head of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Mr Bello Augustine, reportedly confirmed elevated levels of methane and carbon dioxide in Bille.
NOSDRA, however, said the precise source of the gases had not been established and that further scientific and geophysical investigations were required to determine whether the emissions were naturally occurring or connected to oil and gas operations.
The agency also reportedly said the Presidency, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Minister of Petroleum Resources had been briefed on the situation.
Social Action said the uncertainty over the source of the gases had not eliminated the immediate danger faced by residents.
The situation took another worrying turn when Mrs Deborah Orlando, a teacher at State School One, Bille, reportedly collapsed after opening a classroom window and encountering heavy gas fumes.
The organisation said residents had also reported respiratory problems, skin conditions, stomach ailments and other health concerns.
Following Amos’s death, Social Action, Bille Kingdom representatives, civil society organisations, human rights groups and the media held a press conference in Port Harcourt on September 23 under the theme, “Gas Eruptions, Explosions, and Deaths in Bille: Whose Burden?”
At the briefing held at the Chima Ubani Media Hub, Social Action’s Resource and Environmental Justice Manager, Dr Prince Edegbuo, gave a historical account of the crisis, while representatives of Bille Kingdom presented a series of demands to the authorities.
They called for a full criminal and regulatory investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire that injured Amos, including clarification of how the room caught fire and questions surrounding fire extinguishers reportedly distributed to households.
They also demanded transparency regarding Amos’s medical records and autopsy findings, subject to applicable legal and ethical requirements.
Other demands included a national emergency response to the Bille crisis, temporary evacuation arrangements for residents in high-risk areas, comprehensive environmental remediation, compensation for deaths, health impacts and destroyed livelihoods, and legal accountability where evidence establishes wrongdoing or breach of duty.
The community also called for the immediate deployment of emergency medical services to Bille, including mobile clinics, oxygen, medicines and specialist referral systems for people exposed to the gases.
The Bille representatives at the briefing included Barrister Owanaemi Deinbo, Biodeimmabo Kombonnimi and Mrs Vwairhe Syer.
Social Action further raised concerns over what it described as the failure of NOSDRA and the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to publicly release the full findings of investigations into the gas crisis.
The organisation argued that access to scientific information was necessary for accountability and for residents to understand the risks confronting their community.
With the death of Amos, Social Action said the Bille crisis had moved beyond a debate about environmental degradation and temporary relief to an urgent public safety emergency requiring coordinated action by the Degema Local Government Council, Rivers State Government and federal authorities.
It said the immediate priority should be to establish the source of the gas, protect residents in high-risk areas and prevent further loss of life.
The organisation warned that without decisive action, Bille could remain trapped in a cycle of gas-related incidents, emergency relief and loss of lives.
