News
CSOs Want Urgent Action On Gas Bubbles In Rivers
Civil Society Organizations have called for urgent action on gas bubbles largely sighted in Bille Community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The CSOs, including Social Action, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Chikoko Movement, Civil Rights Action, MiiDeekor, Health of Mother Earth (HOMEF), the IYC Eastern Zone, Center for Gender Equity and Sustainable Development, among others, lamented the persistent gas leak that poses grave health, environmental, and safety risks to residents of the area.
The call was made when the CSOs toured several spots in Bille where gas was seen bubbling from the ground, water, and residential wells, as the people of the community urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the area.
Residents disclosed that they first observed signs of the gas leak last year when bubbles began appearing on surrounding water bodies, while fumes emerged from water wells and cracks developed in parts of the community. Investigations later indicated that underground gas was escaping to the surface.
Speaking during the tour and subsequent town hall meeting titled People’s Assembly Parliament, the Executive Director of Social Action, Isaac Osuoka, accused the federal government and its regulatory agencies of allegedly abandoning the community despite the severity of the situation.
He stated that all groundwater in Bille has been “totally and completely polluted,” destroying fish, aquatic life, and the traditional livelihoods of residents. “We are here today because of the failure of the Nigerian state. This hydrocarbon eruption started in 2025. For over six months now, the people of Bille have been going through this, and the Nigerian state has failed to respond,” he said.
Osuoka faulted President Bola Tinubu, who also serves as Minister of Petroleum, for allegedly failing to protect the Niger Delta. According to him, “President Tinubu appointed himself Petroleum Minister with the responsibility to protect the interests of Nigeria and Nigerians, including the lands. But Bille Kingdom is not protected.
“NOSDRA came here to do tests. They did air tests, water tests, soil tests, and they have lied that the air quality in Bille is safe.”
Osuoka also criticised the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for alleged inactiveness to the situation, adding: “Up till now, NUPRC has not done anything. They have done nothing to respond to the emergency in Bille. There is a health crisis in Bille. People are at risk of death. This community can burn down any day, but NUPRC has not responded.”
He added that the Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water Resources, and emergency agencies “have done nothing in Bille,” describing the situation as an outrage. While commending River State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for donating N100 million through his representative for a medical outreach, Osuoka said the intervention was, however, inadequate.
“I commend Governor Fubara for his intervention, but he has not demonstrated adequate responsibility over the matters of Bille and the Niger Delta. This community, the people of Bille, are citizens of Rivers State; they are citizens of Nigeria; they are sick, and there is an emergency here that deserves more than just that response.”
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Chairman, Eastern Zone, Datolu Sukubo, said the Federal Government has failed to intervene in the Bille gas leaks since October last year and accused NNPCL and oil companies of avoiding responsibility.
He threatened that “If the government doesn’t declare a state of emergency on this Bille situation, they should prepare to bring all their armies to come and shoot us at the platforms.”
Also speaking, a prominent Niger Delta environmental activist, Ms. Annkio Briggs, said the scale of the crisis had gone beyond temporary interventions and required decisive action from the federal government.
The paramount ruler of Bille Kingdom, His Majesty Igbikingeri Herbert, who spoke through Chief Napoleon Hezekiah, Secretary, Land Health and Environment Committee, Bille Council of Chiefs, expressed sadness that “the environment is highly polluted, the air quality is bad, the water quality is bad, and all parameters are above permissible level.”
He called on the federal government to act now and not sleep on the situation in Bille Kingdom.
Meanwhile, in commemoration of the Day of the African Child 2026, the Executive Director of the Centre for Gender Equity and Sustainable Development, Chief Constance Meju, regretted that the oil spills and pollution have destroyed creeks and shallow wells that children depend on, saying that many still drink water that causes diarrhea, skin rashes, and long-term health damage.
Meju, who is also a Port Harcourt-based media guru, stressed that “every community must have access to clean water. When children have water, they have health. When they have health, they have a future.”
She added: “Right now, fire is burning in Billie in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State where gas is bubbling underneath the ground, forcing contaminated water to be thrown up, eliciting fear and panic among the people.”
Personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship, Delta, have foiled a camouflaged crude oil storage site used to perpetrate crude oil theft activities in the creeks of the Niger Delta.
The feat was performed by the naval personnel during an operation code-named ‘Delta Sentinel’ “following actionable intelligence on suspected crude oil theft activities around the Ugbokodo Creek axis of Delta State”. This was contained in a statement signed by the Director, Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, in Warri on Wednesday. According to the statement, the naval personnel, supported by aerial surveillance, initially carried out a meticulous search of the area.
“Although the location initially appeared free of suspicious activity, further observation and analysis of drone imagery revealed a large freshly dug reservoir deliberately concealed beneath leaves, planks, wood, and thick vegetation to evade detection.
“Subsequent exploitation of the site uncovered approximately 17,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil stored within the camouflaged reservoir,” the statement explained.
Folorunsho said, “The site also showed clear indications of recent crude oil theft activity and was assessed to have served as a temporary storage point within an illicit supply network.
“The discovery highlights the increasingly sophisticated concealment methods being adopted by criminal elements to sustain crude oil theft operations.
“However, the integration of intelligence-led operations and aerial surveillance capabilities continues to enhance the Nigerian Navy’s ability to detect and disrupt such illegal activities.
“The reservoir, recovered products, and associated materials were handled in accordance with extant operational procedures, effectively denying economic saboteurs access to resources intended to support further criminal activities.”
He added, “The Nigerian Navy remains committed to sustaining pressure on crude oil theft networks under operation Delta Sentinel through persistent surveillance,intelligence-driven operations, and coordinated actions aimed at protecting Nigeria’s critical energy infrastructure and economic interests.”
Crude oil theft has remained a persistent challenge in the Niger Delta, contributing significantly to national revenue losses and environmental degradation.
Criminal networks often use sophisticated concealment methods, including underground reservoirs and illegal pipeline connections, to siphon and store stolen crude.
The minority caucus of the House of Representatives has accused the federal government of neglecting governance, worsening insecurity and allegedly undermining opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Minority Leader Hon. Fred Agbedi said Nigeria was facing a dangerous combination of insecurity, economic hardship and what he described as attempts to weaken democratic opposition through the judiciary.
The caucus expressed outrage over the killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar while in captivity after he was reportedly abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State.
Describing the incident as a national tragedy and evidence of the country’s deteriorating security situation, Agbedi said the murder of the retired military officer underscored the inability of the state to protect its citizens.
“That a general of the Nigerian Army, who once commanded troops and defended this nation, could be kidnapped alongside his wife and later declared dead under unclear circumstances is a grave indictment of a failed state,” he said.
The caucus noted that the killing came after the deaths of other senior military officers in the fight against insurgency, warning that insecurity had spread across several parts of the country.
According to Agbedi, President Bola Tinubu must provide a clear and effective security strategy to confront banditry, terrorism and kidnapping, which he said continue to threaten lives and communities nationwide.
The lawmakers also expressed concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, calling for an urgent military operation to secure their release.
“As we speak, school children and their teachers abducted in Oyo State remain in captivity. Their crime? Going to school in Nigeria,” Agbedi stated.
The caucus demanded what it described as a coordinated rescue effort, insisting that every hour spent in captivity endangered the future of the affected children.
The Federal Government has dismissed recent reports claiming it intends to introduce new taxes on telecommunications services and petroleum products. The clarification follows the publication of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Article IV Consultation Report on Nigeria, which recommended such fiscal changes.
Maryann Duke, the Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, made the clarification in a statement on Tuesday evening.
The minister’s aide explained that the assessments and recommendations outlined by the IMF are merely policy suggestions for consideration and do not represent binding choices or official decisions made by the Nigerian administration. Duke emphasized that any future economic adjustments are strictly determined by national priorities and established legislative frameworks.
“The Federal Government is not considering the introduction of any new taxes on telecommunications services or petroleum products,” Duke stated in the official release. She added, “The Government wishes to clarify that the IMF Article IV Consultation Report contains the Fund’s assessments and policy recommendations for consideration by the relevant country. Such recommendations do not constitute decisions of the Government of Nigeria, nor are they binding on the Government.”
However, the ministry confirmed that the Value Added Tax (VAT) waiver on petrol remains active to shield Nigerian households and businesses from global energy market disruptions.
Duke said implementing a fuel surcharge would require a specific ministerial order and a formal publication in the Official Gazette, neither of which is currently being considered. The ministry also noted that previous telecommunications excise duties introduced before 2023 have been officially repealed under newer tax laws.
“With respect to petroleum products, the Value Added Tax (VAT) waiver currently applicable to fuel remains in place and has not been withdrawn,” Duke explained.
“The suspended taxes have helped to moderate domestic fuel prices below international averages and neighbouring countries serving as a cushion on the impact of global energy market disruption on Nigerian households and businesses. The Federal Government also wishes to clarify that the telecommunications excise duty introduced prior to 2023 has been repealed under the new tax laws and is therefore no longer applicable.”
The ministry urged stakeholders, businesses, and the public to disregard the inaccurate reports, reiterating the government’s commitment to maintaining a transparent, growth-oriented tax system. Duke concluded by assuring the public that any genuine updates to tax policy would be communicated directly through official channels and handled strictly according to due process.
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