Groups Want State of Emergency Over Environmental Crisis

Civil society groups urged the federal government on Saturday, June 13, 2026, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State’s Bille Kingdom over a worsening environmental crisis involving gas bubbling and water pollution that they said had made parts of the community unsafe for residents.

According to the groups, the gas bubbling phenomenon, believed to be linked to oil and gas exploration activities in the area, had intensified in recent months, contaminating water sources that local communities depend on for fishing, drinking, and other domestic uses. They said the pollution had caused fish deaths, skin irritation among residents, and growing fears of long-term health consequences.

A spokesperson for the coalition of groups said the federal government and relevant regulatory agencies, including the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, needed to urgently investigate the source of the gas bubbling and provide both emergency relief and a long-term remediation plan for affected communities.

Long History of Niger Delta Environmental Concerns

The Bille Kingdom situation adds to a long history of environmental concerns in the Niger Delta region, where decades of oil and gas activity have left a legacy of pollution that communities say has never been adequately addressed. Furthermore, environmental advocates said the gas bubbling phenomenon, while less commonly reported than oil spills, could indicate underground pipeline integrity issues that require urgent technical assessment.

However, the federal government had not issued a formal response to the demand for a state of emergency declaration at the time of this report. Oil companies operating in the vicinity of Bille Kingdom also did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations. Still, environmental groups said they would escalate their advocacy if no action was taken within a reasonable timeframe.

Meanwhile, the demand comes at a time when Nigeria’s oil sector is experiencing renewed growth, with new crude streams from the Utapate and Cawthorne fields boosting national production by over 12 million barrels and strengthening export volumes. Notably, the juxtaposition of rising oil production figures with community level environmental crises highlights a persistent tension in Nigeria’s oil economy between national revenue goals and local environmental and social costs. Consequently, the Bille Kingdom case may become a test of how the federal government balances economic priorities with environmental justice demands from oil producing communities.

Rivers Political Tensions Continue

In addition, Rivers State Governor Siminilayi Fubara reaffirmed his commitment to democracy and national unity in a Democracy Day statement, following months of political tension in the state involving the suspension and reinstatement of elected officials. As a result, Rivers State continues to attract national political attention on multiple fronts, from governance disputes to environmental and security concerns within its riverine communities.