Calls for Investigation After Death of Rivers Gas Explosion Survivor

A 29-year-old woman, Joy Amos, has died after suffering serious burns in a gas explosion in Bille, Rivers State. Her death has raised worries about ongoing gas emissions in the area.

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) shared a statement with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday. They said Ms Amos died on Tuesday, 22 September, after being moved to Port Harcourt for better treatment.

Her death has brought back attention to the gas emissions affecting people in Bille Kingdom, located in Degema Local Government Area. This problem has been happening since October 2025.

CAPPA is now calling for an independent investigation into Ms Amos's death, the source of the gas emissions, and how the government has responded to this issue.

The explosion happened around 8 a.m. on 3 September inside Ms Amos's room at No. 18, Opu Ibiila Community. The blast caused part of the building to catch fire, broke its windows, and left her with severe burns.

Ms Amos, who is from Ogoni, first got treatment at a private clinic in Bille for about nine days. Her condition seemed to be getting better before she was moved to Port Harcourt on 12 September.

The transfer was arranged after a person known as Ndubisi Akpu, who community members said claimed to be from the Ministry of Health, said the government would take over her care.

Residents heard about Ms Amos's death on Tuesday afternoon. Her body was being taken back to Ogoni for burial.

CAPPA has called for an autopsy and an independent look into the events surrounding her death. The details of the transfer and the cause of her death have not been verified by PREMIUM TIMES.

CAPPA also reported that the room where the explosion happened continues to make a bubbling sound from under the cement floor, along with a gas-like smell.

During a visit to Bille on 6 July, CAPPA found gas emissions coming from wells, boreholes, homes, rivers, and school grounds. They said government investigations found high levels of methane, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide, as well as contaminated groundwater and poor air quality.

According to CAPPA, residents have not received a clear public explanation of where the emissions are coming from or a proper emergency response plan.

This situation puts residents at risk of more explosions, toxic gas exposure, and water contamination. The latest incident comes after PREMIUM TIMES published an investigation in June about gas seepage in Bille.

That report showed residents' worries about emissions from wells, boreholes, rivers, and land. It also stated that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) started a technical investigation into the source and causes of the seepage.

The commission confirmed they are conducting geological and geotechnical analyses. A federal team led by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, visited Bille to address the crisis. They promised clean water, medical help, firefighting equipment, and support for electricity supply.

NUPRC also said their initial assessment showed contamination of the community's first aquifer. CAPPA mentioned other health and fire incidents in Bille amidst the ongoing emissions.

For example, on 12 September, Mrs Tamunosiepribo Igani fainted while walking to the waterside and fell into a ditch, injuring her leg. The organization also reported that Ms Deborah Adokiye Orlando, a teacher at State School One, Bille, collapsed while working on Tuesday morning.

CAPPA also noted two household fires. One fire started when Mrs Damiete Akinda was trying to light a mosquito coil. Another fire on 7 September spread through Mrs Esther Dein's house, causing significant damage.

The organization did not confirm whether these health incidents and fires were caused by gas emissions. They called for specialized treatment for Mrs Igani, medical checks for Ms Orlando, and free medical screenings for residents, especially children, pregnant women, and the elderly.

Zikora Ibeh, CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, said Ms Amos’s death shows the need for immediate government action. "Joy Amos did not have to die. Her death followed months of warnings, confirmed environmental hazards, and repeated appeals for government intervention," Ms Ibeh said.

She explained that Bille still lacks a proper emergency plan, a clear authority in charge, and a timeline for dealing with the emissions. "The government cannot keep treating citizens' lives as unimportant," she added.

CAPPA is urging the federal and Rivers State governments, petroleum and environmental regulators, the National Emergency Management Agency, and other relevant bodies to create a coordinated emergency response.

They want hazard mapping, evacuation of unsafe homes and public buildings, ongoing testing of air, water, and soil, and free medical screenings for residents. The organization also expressed worries that some residents are collecting gas to power generators or digging around their homes for gas outlets.

They warned that these activities could lead to explosions and poisoning. CAPPA is also calling for alternative energy sources for affected households, involvement of residents in investigations and cleanup, and compensation for those impacted.

They want authorities to clearly identify who is responsible for coordinating the response and provide a timeline for investigations, medical help, and evacuations if needed. Ms Ibeh warned that if nothing is done, more deaths and injuries could occur.

"We would love to be proved wrong, but the reality is that people are living among uncontrolled and deadly gas emissions," she said.

As of the time this report was filed, the Rivers State Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Health, and NUPRC had not commented on Ms Amos’s death.