The House of Representatives has demanded urgent action over prolonged environmental crises affecting communities in Rivers and Delta states.
The House Committee on South-South Development Commission, chaired by Julius Pondi, called for immediate intervention in the gas seepage affecting Bille community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, as well as the oil spill reportedly affecting Odidi Federated Community in Delta State.
The demand was made on Thursday during a stakeholders’ engagement on the Bille gas seepage and a legislative hearing on the Odidi oil spill in Abuja.
The Bille community has been battling gas seepage since October 2025, with methane reportedly bubbling through rivers, swamps and some drinking-water wells. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has confirmed contamination of the community’s first aquifer and pledged to provide potable water while investigations continue.
Recent technical assessments have also raised concerns about the presence of potentially hazardous gases, including methane and hydrogen sulphide, alongside pollution affecting the community’s air and water.
In July, the Federal Government said it had engaged an international firm to conduct further scientific studies to determine the root cause of the seepage and develop a lasting solution.
Meanwhile, the committee also demanded concrete action over the oil spill in Odidi Federated Community and neighbouring Ikantu in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The communities have reportedly endured the effects of the spill for more than five months, with protests previously staged over the environmental damage and alleged slow response to the crisis. Federal Government officials and operators of OML 42 visited the affected area in July and promised measures to address the situation, including cleanup and repairs.
The House committee’s intervention comes amid growing concerns over the impact of prolonged oil and gas pollution on residents, water sources, livelihoods and the wider Niger Delta environment.
Pondi urged relevant government agencies and oil-sector operators to move beyond investigations and assurances and implement practical measures to protect affected communities and restore the environment.
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