The Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, has pledged immediate intervention to address the prolonged gas leak and worsening environmental pollution in Bille.
His response came after residents and civil society groups staged a peaceful protest at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Monday.
The demonstrators, led by the Pilex Centre for Civic Education Initiative (PCCEI) and the Lekeh Development Foundation (LDF), urged the Rivers State Government to act decisively over what they described as a growing environmental and public health emergency affecting Bille and other oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Mr Honour Sirawoo, the governor assured the protesters that their concerns would receive urgent attention, stressing that the environmental degradation and its impact on residents’ livelihoods could not be ignored.
On behalf of the governor, he praised the protesters for choosing dialogue over violence despite the hardship caused by the pollution, noting that the inability of residents to access clean water, fish or carry out other legitimate economic activities demanded an immediate government response.
He reaffirmed that protecting lives, property, and the environment remains a core responsibility of his administration, adding that fishing and farming, the main sources of income for many coastal communities, depend on a healthy ecosystem.
According to him, the state government will not allow the matter to be overlooked.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mr Courage Nsirimovu, Coordinator of the PCCEI, said the gas leak has triggered a severe ecological and health crisis in Bille.
He added that nearby communities, including Rukpokwu, Ebubu and Elelenwo, are also experiencing environmental challenges linked to pollution.
The group called for the immediate relocation of residents from the affected areas pending remediation efforts and demanded greater transparency in the management of environmental remediation funds provided under the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act.
The environmental crisis in Bille has continued to worsen since late 2025, when residents first reported persistent gas seepage from rivers, creeks, mangrove forests, boreholes and abandoned water facilities.
The seepage, often accompanied by a strong sulphur-like odour, has since spread across several parts of the community, with local leaders reporting dozens of emission points, some of which have allegedly caught fire, raising fears over the combustible nature of the escaping gas.
The incident has severely disrupted fishing activities, polluted water sources, damaged mangrove ecosystems and reduced aquatic life, leaving many residents without their primary means of livelihood.
Earlier this year, the federal government directed the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to investigate the incident.
Preliminary assessments suggested the seepage could be linked to underground geological processes, although detailed geotechnical studies are still ongoing to determine the exact cause and recommend permanent solutions.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have also continued to press both regulators and oil operators to accelerate investigations and implement urgent measures to protect affected communities.