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Methane gas ignites fire at drinking water pump in Nigeria
Bille, a town of 30,000 people in Rivers State, Nigeria, sits next to abandoned oil and gas infrastructure. Since October 2025, methane has been bubbling up in rivers, swamps and drinking wells near the town. It is suspected that the oil and gas wells are the cause of these leaks. School children have had to relocate and members of Bille’s community are falling sick due to this. One resident told Amnesty International that the community is “no longer safe.”
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission began investigating the leaks in April and ordered all operating companies nearby to find a solution. The state Governor also offered 100 million Naira (approximately 75,000 USD) to the Bille community to cover relief costs. But little has been done to stop the leaks, and Bille now faces a serious health emergency.
Amnesty International continues to call for these investigations to be expedited. Immediate action must be taken to stop the gas leaks, and clean drinking water must be restored to Bille.
