Nigeria, June 15 -- In late 2025, residents of Bille, a riverine community in Rivers State, woke up to an unsettling sight and smell.

From abandoned mono pumps and long-forgotten shallow wells, gas suddenly started bubbling to the surface, pushing through ageing pipes buried underground for decades. The air filled with a sharp rotten-egg stench while water frothed and hissed around the openings.

What initially appeared to be an isolated incident soon spread across the community. The constant sound of bubbling gas and the low rumble rising from beneath the ground became part of daily life, raising fears about what was happening below the surface and the dangers it posed.

"Since October 2025, we observed that this abandoned mono pump sta...