Over 100 students across some secondary schools in Ijebu Ode, Ago Iwoye and Ijebu Igbo were reportedly hospitalised at the State Hospital, Ijebu Ode, General Hospital Ijebu Igbo and other healthcare facilities after inhaling offensive gaseous substance.
The worst hits according to information gathered by our correspondent include Ijebu Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu Ode, Itamerin Comprehensive High School, Ago Iwoye, among others.
A circulating video shows how some of the students were fainting and being rushed to hospitals after inhaling this gaseous substance which the government had earlier this year identified as methane.
A teacher in one of the affected schools who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “The incident happened at about 10 am in the morning. The students and the staff started inhaling this gas and began to have difficulty in breathing and were fainting after which they were rushed to the hospitals.
“Some of the schools in Ago Iwoye had to close for the day around 11am when the situation was becoming horrible and unbearable. The worst hits schools include Ijebu Igbo Girls Grammar School and Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu Ode.
“Some parents who have heard about the unfortunate incident also came around to pick their children because nobody knows what is happening. We even heard that this gas leak had been on since April sending hundreds of students to hospital whenever it decided to appear from nowhere.
“We are all anxious about our health and that of our students, I think it is taking the government so long to get to the roots of this mysterious deadly gas leakage. The government has to do something fast to address this situation before it gets too late.”
Our Correspondent recalled that this is the fourth time the mysterious gas leak would be causing confusion and anxiety in Ijebu land.
The first incident in April affected about 40 students, while over 120 students were reportedly hospitalised after another exposure in May. A further 69 students were also hospitalised on June 1 after another occurrence of the gas leak, now confirmed to be methane.
The schools affected in the past include Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage, Ijebu-Ode, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu Ode, St Anthony Grammar School, Ijebu Imusin among others.
Speaking on the incident of the gas leak in the past, Governor Dapo Abiodun sometimes in June noted that the state government, through the Ministries of Environment and Health, is working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and the Department of Geology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, to determine the root cause of the incident.
He said, “Twice now, we have recorded cases of pollution in this school and some neighbouring schools.What is interesting is that the gas pollution occurred at about the same time in the affected schools—about three schools altogether—and this has happened on two separate occasions.
“Following the first occurrence, we installed gas analysers across the schools to determine the nature and concentration of the gas, which has now been confirmed to be methane.
“Preliminary findings suggest there may be geological factors involved, possibly fault lines common to these locations, which could be responsible for the emissions.We are awaiting the final report from the professionals handling the investigation.”
When contacted on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said, “We are on top of the situation.”
However, a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abiodun and who also doubles as the General Manager Ogun State Environmental Agency, Kehinde Bello, who was on ground to access the situation in Ijebu Ode and that of Ijebu Igbo disclosed that the latest occurrence was linked to underground gas emissions previously recorded in Ijebu-Ode since April 2026.
Bello stated the situation is under control, adding that the government will find a lasting solution to the incident.
He said government investigations had indicated that the phenomenon was a natural occurrence associated with geological and tectonic fault lines, rather than sabotage or a gas pipeline leak.
Bello urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that the affected students were expected to recover after receiving medical attention.
He further advised residents exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks.
Medical personnel were reportedly attending to the affected students at the general hospitals as of the time of filing this report.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the recurrence of gaseous emissions in the affected communities, particularly their impact on schools and the safety of children.
(Punch)
