Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has raised fresh concerns over the safety of residents of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State following the death of a 29-year-old woman, Joy Amos, who suffered severe burns in a gas explosion inside her room.
Amos died on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, after being transferred from Bille to Port Harcourt for further medical treatment.
The organisation, in a statement signed by its Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, said the death had further exposed what it described as an ongoing environmental and public health emergency in the community.
CAPPA recalled that the explosion occurred at about 8 a.m. on September 3 at No. 18, Opu Ibiila Community, where Amos was staying.
According to the organisation, the blast set part of the building on fire, shattered its windows and left the victim with extensive burns.
Amos, an Ogoni native, was initially treated at a private clinic in Bille for about nine days, with her condition reportedly improving.
CAPPA said she was transferred to Port Harcourt on September 12 following a telephone call from a person identified by community members as Dr Ndubisi Akpu, who reportedly claimed to be calling from the Ministry of Health and said the government would take over her treatment.
The organisation said the community received news of her death on Tuesday afternoon, with reports that her remains were being taken to Ogoni for burial.
CAPPA called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Amos’ death, including an autopsy, particularly because of the environmental conditions at the location of the explosion.
According to the organisation, the room where the explosion occurred has continued to produce an apparent gas-bubbling sound beneath its cemented floor, accompanied by a noticeable gas-like odour.
CAPPA said the development was part of a wider gas-emission crisis documented in Bille since October 2025.
The organisation said that during a field visit on July 6, its team observed gas emissions from wells, boreholes, residential compounds, waterways and school grounds.
It added that government investigations had reportedly detected elevated levels of methane, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide, as well as groundwater contamination and poor air quality.
Despite the reported findings, CAPPA said residents had yet to receive a comprehensive explanation of the source of the emissions or a clear emergency response plan.
The organisation also expressed concern over several health and fire incidents recently reported in the community.
CAPPA said Mrs Tamunosiepribo Igani reportedly became dizzy and collapsed while walking to the waterside on September 12, falling into a ditch and sustaining a serious leg injury.
It added that, as of September 22, Igani reportedly required transfer to Port Harcourt for specialist treatment.
CAPPA further said a teacher at State School One, Bille, Ms Deborah Adokiye Orlando, reportedly collapsed while performing her duties earlier on Tuesday.
Two household fires were also reported in August and September.
According to CAPPA, one fire occurred while Mrs Damiete Akinda was attempting to light a mosquito coil, while another incident on September 7 reportedly started as a cooking fire and spread through Mrs Esther Dein’s home, destroying substantial property.
The organisation also raised concern over reports that some residents were collecting the gas emerging from the ground and using it to power generators.
Some residents were reportedly digging around their homes in search of gas outlets that could be channelled for domestic energy use.
CAPPA warned that such practices could expose residents to explosions, poisoning and other serious hazards.
The organisation’s Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, said Amos’ death should compel the authorities to move beyond what she described as a fragmented response to the crisis.
“Joy Amos did not have to die. Her death followed months of warnings, confirmed environmental hazards and repeated appeals for government intervention. Yet Bille still has no comprehensive emergency plan, no publicly identified coordinating authority and no clear timetable for containing the emissions,” Ibeh said.
“The government cannot continue to treat the lives of citizens as expendable,” she added.
CAPPA called on the Federal Government, Rivers State Government, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, National Assembly, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and other relevant agencies to establish a coordinated emergency response.
It called for the involvement of independent experts in environmental science, medicine, public health and emergency safety.
The organisation also demanded comprehensive hazard mapping and the evacuation of households, schools and public facilities located in areas determined to be unsafe.
CAPPA urged the authorities to provide specialist medical care for Igani and conduct a full medical assessment of the teacher who reportedly collapsed.
It also called for free medical screening for residents, particularly children, pregnant women, older people and those experiencing respiratory, neurological, gastrointestinal or skin-related symptoms.
The organisation demanded the immediate suspension of unsafe gas collection and use, alongside clear public safety information and alternative sources of electricity and cooking energy for affected households.
It further called for continuous air, water and soil testing, as well as a community-wide system for documenting fires, explosions, illnesses and injuries.
CAPPA said residents of Bille should be directly involved in investigations, emergency measures and remediation plans.
The organisation also demanded that authorities publicly identify the institutions responsible for coordinating the response and provide a clear timetable for investigations, social support, medical interventions and evacuation where necessary.
It said that once the source of the emissions or leakage was established, authorities should ensure comprehensive remediation, compensation for affected residents and legal accountability.
Reiterating CAPPA’s earlier warning in its documentary and report, Danger! Bille Is Highly Flammable, Ibeh said Amos’ death should not be treated as an isolated incident.
“We would love to be proved wrong, but the reality is that human beings are living amid uncontrolled and deadly gas emissions. Nigeria is on the verge of a major national disaster, and Ms Amos’s tragic death may only be the beginning of how much worse the situation could become if the authorities fail to act decisively,” she said.
