The Ogun State Government has assured residents that the situation arising from the unusual gaseous odour reported in parts of the Ijebu axis is under control, as it intensifies investigations into the incident that left several secondary school students requiring medical attention on Wednesday.
The government’s assurance, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, made available to journalists on Wednesday, followed reports of the gas leak in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye.
The incident triggered panic among students, teachers, parents and residents, with affected students taken to hospitals for treatment.
It was gathered that over 100 students across some secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Iwoye and Ijebu-Igbo were hospitalised at the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, General Hospital, Ijebu-Igbo, and other healthcare facilities after inhaling the offensive gaseous substance.
The worst-hit, according to information at the disposal of our correspondent, included Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, and Itamerin Comprehensive High School, Ago-Iwoye, among others.
Responding to the latest gas leak, the government stated that, “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, Ola Oresanya, 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.
A circulating video showed some of the students fainting and being rushed to hospitals after inhaling the 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 condition of anonymity, said, “The incident happened at about 10 am. 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-hit schools include Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School and Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode.
“Some parents who had 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 root of this mysterious deadly gas leakage. The government has to do something fast to address this situation before it gets too late.”
PUNCH Online recalls that this is the fourth time the mysterious gas leak has caused confusion and anxiety in Ijebuland.
The first incident in April affected about 40 students, while over 120 students were reportedly hospitalised after another exposure in May.
Another 69 students were also hospitalised on June 1 after another occurrence of the gas leak, which has now been 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; and St Anthony Grammar School, Ijebu-Imusin, among others.
Speaking on the previous gas leak incidents, Abiodun, sometime in June, noted that the state government, through the Ministries of Environment and Health, was 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.”