The Ogun State Government has ordered the closure of some schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye after more than 100 pupils were hospitalised on Wednesday following suspected exposure to an offensive gaseous substance.
The affected pupils were taken to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, the General Hospital, Ijebu-Igbo, and other health facilities.
Among the worst-hit schools were Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, Itamerin Comprehensive High School and several schools in Ago-Iwoye.
A video circulating on social media shows pupils fainting and being rushed to hospital.
A teacher at one of the affected schools, who asked not to be named, said the incident happened at about 10am, when pupils and staff began struggling to breathe and some collapsed.
“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.
The teacher added that some schools in Ago-Iwoye shut down at about 11am as conditions worsened, while worried parents rushed to collect their children because no one knew what was happening.
The teacher said the emissions, which have reportedly hit schools in the area since April, continue to pose health risks to pupils and staff, and criticised the government for taking too long to find the cause.
“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.
Fourth incident since April
Wednesday’s episode is the fourth reported case of gas emissions in the Ijebu area since April.
In April, about 40 pupils were affected. More than 120 were hospitalised in May, and 69 needed medical attention after another occurrence on June 1.
Schools previously affected include Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage, Ijebu-Ode; Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode; and St Anthony Grammar School, Ijebu-Imusin.
The latest incident has renewed calls on the state government to pin down the source of the emissions and find a lasting solution.
Government’s position
After an earlier occurrence, Governor Dapo Abiodun said the state was working 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 establish the cause. He said gas analysers were installed in affected schools after the first incident, and that preliminary findings pointed to 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,” the governor said in June.
Contacted on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the government was on top of the situation.
Kehinde Bello, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant and General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Agency, visited affected areas in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo and linked the latest incident to underground gas emissions previously recorded in the area.
He said investigations so far indicate a natural occurrence tied to geological and tectonic fault lines, not sabotage or a gas pipeline leak. He assured residents that the situation was under control and that the affected pupils were expected to recover.
Bello urged residents to stay calm and advised those exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than nose masks.
Medical personnel were still attending to the pupils at various hospitals at the time of filing this report.
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