The Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Daisi Elemide, has summoned the State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, and his team to appear before the House on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, following the concerns and anxiety trailing the repeated gas leak in the Ijebu axis of the state
As part of the House resolution during its sitting on Thursday, Elemide said, “The Commissioner for Environment and his team, the State Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant agencies, are to appear before the House on Wednesday, 28th of October, 2026 over the reported leak of a suspected gaseous substance that led to the hospitalisation of some school children in Ijebu-Ode and its environs.”
The invitation followed a report by a member representing Odogbolu State Constituency, Lukman Adeleye, who noted that a similar incident had previously been reported in the area.
While commending the relevant agencies for their efforts in managing the previous incidents, Adeleye stressed the need for them to interface with the state lawmakers to explain the measures being put in place to prevent future occurrences, and identify areas where additional support would be required.
Recall that over 100 students across some secondary schools in Ijebu Ode, Ago Iwoye and Ijebu Igbo were on Wednesday hospitalised at the State Hospital, Ijebu Ode, General Hospital, Ijebu Igbo and other healthcare facilities after inhaling this offensive gaseous substance.
The worst hit, according to information at our correspondent’s disposal, included 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 discomforting gaseous substance, which the government had earlier this year identified as methane.
A teacher in one of the affected schools, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said that the incident happened at about 10 am when the students and the staff started inhaling the gas and began to have difficulty breathing and were fainting, after which they were rushed to the hospitals
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.
The government has, however, assured residents that the situation arising from the unusual gaseous odour reported in parts of the Ijebu axis is under control as it has intensified investigations into the incident that left several secondary school students requiring medical attention on Wednesday.
The government’s assurance was according to a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday by Kayode Akinmade, the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Information and Strategy.
The government stated, “As part of its response, its assessment team visited the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, where more than 30 students were attended to, before proceeding to Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School for further assessment and investigation.
“Findings from the affected students and information provided by the attending doctor revealed that the symptoms after inhaling this odour included shortness of breath, stomach disorders and drowsiness, among others.
“While some of the students required oxygen to stabilise their conditions, others received minor medical attention. 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 school premises and surrounding areas as part of efforts to establish the extent of the incident and identify possible sources of the odour.”
The assessment reportedly indicated that the phenomenon was not restricted to school premises, as residents in 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 was also said to have arrived at the scene to participate in the assessment and ongoing investigation.
Reports also indicated that students in other schools were affected, with some taken to other hospitals for treatment, while activities in some schools were disrupted.
The incident has reportedly renewed concerns over recurring episodes of unusual gaseous odour in the Ijebu axis, particularly in Ijebu-Ode, where similar occurrences have been reported since April 2026.
The Commissioner for Environment had earlier attributed the previous occurrences to natural underground gas emissions associated with geological and tectonic fault lines, ruling out sabotage or a gas pipeline leak as the cause.
However, investigations into Wednesday’s incident are continuing, with the involvement of relevant technical authorities expected to provide further insight into the source of the odour and its potential health and environmental implications.
The government is expected to sustain its monitoring of the affected areas and the condition of the students who remain under medical observation.
Residents are urged to remain calm while investigations continue, with further updates expected as more verified information becomes available.