By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
More than 100 students from several secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Iwoye and Ijebu-Igbo areas of Ogun State were reportedly hospitalised on Wednesday following another suspected gas emission that left students and staff struggling to breathe, with some fainting.
The affected students were taken to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, the General Hospital, Ijebu-Igbo, and other healthcare facilities for medical attention.
Among the schools reportedly affected were Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, and Itamerin Comprehensive High School, Ago-Iwoye.
A video circulating on social media showed some students fainting and being rushed for medical attention as panic spread across the affected communities.
The incident has renewed concerns over recurring gaseous emissions in parts of Ijebu land, with residents and school authorities calling on the state government to establish the source and prevent further exposure.
A teacher in one of the affected schools, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident began at about 10 a.m., when students and staff started experiencing breathing difficulties.
“The students and staff started inhaling the gas and began to have difficulty breathing. Some of them fainted and had to be rushed to hospitals,” the teacher said.
According to the teacher, some schools in Ago-Iwoye were forced to close for the day at about 11 a.m. as the situation worsened.
“Some of the schools in Ago-Iwoye had to close for the day when the situation became frightening and unbearable. The worst-hit schools include Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School and Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode,” the teacher added.
The teacher said parents who heard about the incident rushed to their children’s schools to take them home amid fears for their safety.
The teacher further claimed that similar emissions had occurred since April, sending hundreds of students to hospitals during previous incidents.
“We are all worried about our health and the safety of our students. I think it is taking the government too long to get to the root of this mysterious gas emission. The government needs to act quickly before the situation gets worse,” the teacher said.
Wednesday’s incident was reportedly the fourth occurrence of gaseous emissions disrupting school activities in Ijebu land since April 2026.
The first reported incident in April affected about 40 students, while more than 120 students were reportedly hospitalised following another exposure in May. Another 69 students were reportedly hospitalised on June 1.
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.
The repeated incidents have heightened concerns about the safety of students and staff, particularly as some of the affected schools appear to have experienced multiple occurrences.
Government investigates suspected emissions
Following previous incidents, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said the state government was working with relevant agencies and experts to determine the cause of the emissions.
The governor said the Ministries of Environment and Health were collaborating with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Department of Geology at Olabisi Onabanjo University to investigate the phenomenon.
Abiodun, who spoke on the matter in June, said gas analysers had been installed in affected schools to establish the nature and concentration of the emissions.
“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,” the governor said.
He added that the gas detected during the investigation had been identified as methane.
“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,” he said.
According to the governor, preliminary findings suggested that geological factors, including fault lines, could be responsible for the emissions.
“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.
When contacted on Wednesday, the state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the government was monitoring the situation.
“We are on top of the situation,” he said.
Also speaking on the latest incident, Kehinde Bello, Senior Special Assistant to the governor and General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Agency, said the emissions were linked to underground gas occurrences previously recorded in Ijebu-Ode since April.
Bello, who visited affected areas in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo to assess the situation, said the government was working towards finding a lasting solution.
He said investigations had indicated that the phenomenon could be 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 also advised residents exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks.
However, the precise source of the emissions and the reasons for their recurrence remain unclear, with residents awaiting the outcome of the investigation.
As of the time of filing this report, medical personnel were reportedly attending to affected students at general hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
The latest incident has intensified calls for a conclusive investigation and effective preventive measures to protect students and staff from further exposure.
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