For almost a year now, residents of Bille in Rivers State have been living alongside a slow-moving crisis. Gas is seeping out of abandoned oil and gas infrastructure in the community, and the consequences for daily life are quietly devastating.
The leak has disrupted livelihoods in a community that, like so many in the Niger Delta, already carries the weight of decades of environmental neglect. When the land and water are compromised, fishing, farming, and simply breathing become acts of survival.
What makes this situation particularly urgent is the time that has already passed. Nearly twelve months of exposure, nearly twelve months without a resolution. The people of Bille are still waiting for someone to act.
Originally published by Premium Times.