By Tracy Moses

The House of Representatives Committee on the South South Development Commission on Thursday faulted the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) over what lawmakers described as a slow and inadequate response to the prolonged gas seepage in Billy Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.

At an investigative hearing in Abuja, lawmakers expressed outrage that residents have remained exposed to an environmental and public health emergency for nearly eight months, demanding explanations from the two regulatory agencies over the lingering crisis.

According to residents, the persistent gas seepage has polluted the air, contaminated water sources, disrupted economic activities and exposed the community to serious health and safety risks.

The probe followed growing concerns over reports that gas has continued to seep from the ground in the riverine community since late 2025. Residents alleged that the emissions have rendered boreholes unsafe, crippled fishing and farming—the community’s primary means of livelihood—and forced families to live in fear of explosions and long-term health consequences.

Lawmakers also criticised the absence of key stakeholders at the hearing, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL), the Rivers State Government, the state’s Ministries of Environment and Health, and the Chairman of Degema Local Government Area.

They argued that the failure of the agencies and officials to honour the invitation denied the committee the opportunity to obtain critical information on emergency response efforts, remediation plans and interventions for affected residents.

Declaring the hearing open, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Julius Pondi, said the investigation was in line with the House’s oversight powers under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

According to him, the objective is to establish the facts surrounding the gas seepage, assess the response of regulators and industry operators, and determine the environmental, health and socio-economic consequences of the incident.

“The committee considered it necessary to invite all relevant stakeholders because of the grave environmental, public health, socio-economic and ecological implications of the incident for the people of Billy Community and the wider South South region,” Pondi said.

He noted that Billy Community depends largely on fishing, farming and other natural resource-based livelihoods, making the impact of the incident particularly devastating.

“As representatives of the Nigerian people, we have a duty to ensure that operators in the oil and gas industry conduct their activities in accordance with extant laws, government regulations and international best practices, while ensuring that host communities are adequately protected from avoidable environmental and safety hazards.”

Pondi said the committee would establish the immediate and underlying causes of the incident, evaluate the adequacy of emergency interventions and remediation efforts, and assess the broader socio-economic impact on affected residents.

“I wish to emphasise that this committee approaches this engagement with an open mind. Our objective is neither to prejudge any individual or institution nor apportion blame without due process. Rather, we seek to establish the facts, identify operational or regulatory shortcomings where they exist, and make practical recommendations that will strengthen environmental governance and improve regulatory oversight.”

The hearing became tense when lawmakers questioned NOSDRA officials over why the incident, first reported in October 2025, had remained unresolved several months later.

Representing the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NOSDRA, Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke, Mr. Cytrus Nkangwung said the agency formally received notification of the incident on November 25, 2025, after initial reports of gas bubbling emerged earlier in October, and immediately commenced investigations with relevant stakeholders.

He explained that the incident differs from conventional oil spills because the gas is escaping naturally from the ground and surrounding water bodies rather than from any known petroleum facility.

Responding to lawmakers’ questions, the agency’s Zonal Head, Mr. Augustine Bello, said:

“This incident is not the regular incident that attracts reporting. It is not a leak from any facility. It is gas bubbling that enveloped the community. When we became aware of it, we reached out to stakeholders within the community. It is different from a conventional oil spill.”

His explanation did little to satisfy lawmakers.

Chairman of the House Committee on Host Communities, Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Dekor, criticised regulators for failing to determine the cause of the seepage months after it began.

“I feel sad sitting here listening to what you are telling us today. Gas bubbling from the ground, and after all these months, you are still telling us you do not know the cause.

“Today is a black day in the history of Nigeria that people’s lives could be on the line for this number of months and nothing has been done about it. You sit here suggesting to us that you do not even know what is responsible for it.

“It is a huge shame that people’s lives are at risk. Do you know how many people have died? Their livelihoods have been destroyed, yet nobody seems to care.”

Lawmakers also questioned the lack of immediate relief for residents.

“What happened to the people of Billy?” Pondi asked, wondering why residents had continued to breathe polluted air and rely on contaminated water while investigations dragged on.

Dekor also condemned the absence of major operators at the hearing and urged the committee to compel them to appear.

“I want to suggest that we compel all these agencies to appear before this committee. Something must be done. People should not die simply because they live in oil-producing communities.”

The committee further queried NOSDRA over its request for a N3.4 billion presidential intervention fund while investigations were still ongoing.

Responding, Bello said the proposed funding was intended to support emergency containment measures, environmental assessments and humanitarian interventions pending the outcome of comprehensive investigations.

Responding to lawmakers’ concerns, NUPRC maintained that investigations had not established any connection between the gas seepage and existing oil and gas infrastructure.

Leading the commission’s delegation, Director of Development and Production, Joseph Olawole Ogunsola, said preliminary scientific findings indicated that the gas was naturally migrating from deep underground formations through groundwater pathways and boreholes.

“The result of our evaluation indicates that there is no relationship between any pipeline or facility and the character of the gas seepage. Scientific evidence available to us presently points to a subsurface occurrence rather than a failure of surface infrastructure.”

Ogunsola acknowledged the severity of the impact on the community.

“Billy Community is severely affected. The water is contaminated, there are reports of air pollution and there are safety concerns.”

He said the commission had adopted a two-pronged approach involving scientific investigations and humanitarian interventions.

According to him, relief materials have already been delivered through an industry-backed initiative, while a medical outreach programme and the provision of safe drinking water are scheduled to commence within the next two weeks.

“The Commission Chief Executive mobilised the industry because no operator has been found culpable. Nevertheless, we agreed that the industry must rally round and support the people of Billy while investigations continue.

“There is also a planned medical outreach in the next two weeks, while hydrological studies are ongoing to determine how best to provide uncontaminated potable water to the community.”

On the possibility of evacuating residents, Ogunsola said the commission had advised the relevant authorities to consider a managed evacuation based on health and risk assessments.

“We cannot today determine the full extent of the impact of this seepage. Laboratory analysis shows there are gases that should not ordinarily be inhaled. Government should therefore consider managed evacuation of the affected residents following an appropriate health and risk assessment.”

Despite the explanations, lawmakers insisted that allowing the incident to persist for months exposed serious weaknesses in Nigeria’s environmental regulatory framework and warned that further delays in addressing the crisis would be unacceptable.

The Billy gas seepage, first reported in late 2025, has become one of the most unusual environmental incidents in Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta. Unlike conventional oil spills caused by ruptured pipelines or failed petroleum facilities, preliminary scientific investigations suggest the gas is naturally migrating from deep underground formations rather than existing oil and gas infrastructure.

The committee directed all absent government agencies and industry operators to appear before it at a subsequent hearing, stressing that scientific uncertainty must not delay urgent action to protect residents, provide humanitarian assistance and restore public confidence in environmental regulation.