By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
The Ogun State government has said the situation arising from the unusual gaseous odour reported in parts of the Ijebu axis is under control, following an assessment of affected schools and hospitals, as investigations continue into the latest incident that left several secondary school students requiring medical attention.
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The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, was reported in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye, triggering panic among students, teachers, parents and residents, while some affected pupils were rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Among the schools reportedly affected were Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, Itamerin Comprehensive High School and some schools in Ago-Iwoye.
A video circulating on social media showed pupils reportedly fainting and being rushed to hospitals following the incident.
A teacher at one of the affected schools, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident began at about 10 a.m., when students and members of staff started experiencing breathing difficulties, with some collapsing.
“The pupils and staff started inhaling the gas and began to have difficulty breathing. Some of them fainted and were rushed to hospitals,” the teacher said.
Parents came for schoolchildren
According to the teacher, some schools in Ago-Iwoye were forced to close at about 11 a.m. as the situation worsened.
“The worst-hit schools include Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School and Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode. Some parents who heard about the incident also came to pick up their children because nobody knew what was happening,” the teacher added.
Expressing concern over the recurring incidents, the teacher said the emissions had reportedly affected schools in the area since April, leaving pupils and teachers worried about their health and safety.
“We are all anxious about our health and that of our pupils. I think it is taking the government too long to get to the root of this mysterious gas leakage. The government has to do something quickly before it gets too late,” the teacher said.
Wednesday’s incident was the fourth reported episode of unusual gaseous emissions in the Ijebu axis since April 2026, raising fresh concerns about the safety of schoolchildren, teachers and other residents.
… in April
In April, about 40 pupils were reportedly affected by the emissions, while more than 120 others were hospitalised following another incident in May. A further occurrence on June 1 reportedly left 69 pupils requiring medical attention.
Schools affected in previous incidents included Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage, Ijebu-Ode; Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode; and St Anthony Grammar School, Ijebu-Imusin, among others.
Assessment team
As part of its response to Wednesday’s incident, a government assessment team visited the General Hospital, where more than 30 students were reportedly attended to, before proceeding to Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School to assess the situation and investigate the possible source of the odour.
Information obtained from the affected students and the attending doctor indicated that the symptoms included shortness of breath, stomach disorders and drowsiness.
While some of the students required oxygen to stabilise their conditions, others received less intensive medical treatment. By the time the assessment team left the hospital, most of the students had been discharged, while a few remained under medical observation.
The team also inspected the affected school premises and surrounding areas to establish the extent of the incident and identify possible sources of the emissions.
Findings from the assessment suggested that the phenomenon was not confined to school premises, as residents of neighbouring communities also reported perceiving the odour.
The Chairman of Ijebu North Local Government Area equally confirmed that the odour was perceived at the council secretariat.
A team from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) also arrived at the scene to participate in the assessment and ongoing investigation.
Reports indicated that students in other schools were similarly affected, with some taken to other hospitals for treatment, while activities in some schools were disrupted.
Govt blames geological underground gas emissions
The State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, had previously attributed earlier occurrences to natural underground gas emissions associated with geological and tectonic fault lines, ruling out sabotage or a gas pipeline leak as the cause.
Oresanya said the government was on top of the situation.
Also speaking, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant and General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Agency, Kehinde Bello, who visited affected areas in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo, linked the latest incident to underground gas emissions previously recorded in the area.
Bello said the situation was under control and assured residents that the government would continue working towards finding a lasting solution to the recurring problem.
He said investigations by the government 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, adding that the affected pupils were expected to recover after receiving medical attention.
He also advised residents exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks.
The latest incident has renewed calls for the state government to establish the precise source of the emissions and implement effective measures to prevent further exposure.
Following an earlier occurrence, Governor Dapo Abiodun had said the state government was collaborating with the Ministries of Environment and Health, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and the Department of Geology at Olabisi Onabanjo University to determine the cause of the emissions.
The governor also disclosed that gas analysers had been installed in affected schools following the initial incident, while preliminary findings pointed to methane as the substance involved.
“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,” Abiodun said in June.
However, the precise source of the emissions and the potential health and environmental implications remain matters for further investigation.
The involvement of relevant technical authorities, including the NUPRC, is expected to provide additional insight into the recurring phenomenon.
As of the time of filing this report, medical personnel were attending to affected pupils at various hospitals, while a few students remained under observation following treatment.
The recurring incidents have heightened concerns among residents, particularly parents and teachers, over the potential health risks posed by the emissions.
Residents are now awaiting the outcome of the investigations and the implementation of lasting measures to prevent further occurrences.
