More than 30 students have been taken to hospital following another suspected gas leak affecting schools in Ogun State, marking the fourth reported incident of its kind in the state since April 2026.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday and affected Anglican Girls Grammar School, including its public and private sections, in Obalende, Ijebu-Ode, as well as Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School and other schools.
An unusual odour was also detected in Ago-Iwoye, prompting school authorities to shut their facilities and dismiss students as a precautionary measure.
The affected students were transported to general hospitals in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo for treatment.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, assuring residents that the situation was under control while investigations continued to establish the source and extent of the emissions.
Oresanya made the disclosure during an assessment visit by government officials to the affected students receiving treatment at the hospitals.
He said medical assessments showed that the students experienced symptoms including difficulty breathing, stomach disorders and drowsiness.
According to the commissioner, some of the patients required oxygen to stabilise their conditions, while others received less intensive treatment.
He added that most of the students had been discharged by the time the government delegation completed its hospital assessment, although a few remained under observation.
The assessment team subsequently visited Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School to examine the situation and investigate the surrounding environment.
Oresanya also disclosed that the chairman of Ijebu North Local Government Area confirmed detecting the unusual smell, including at the council secretariat.
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A team from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission also arrived at the affected area to join the assessment and investigation.
The commissioner linked Wednesday’s incident to a series of underground gas emissions reported in the Ijebu axis since April.
In June, Oresanya explained that the recurring emissions could be linked to natural geological processes through which underground gases escape via fractures associated with geological and tectonic fault lines.
He had ruled out sabotage and gas pipeline leaks as possible explanations for the earlier incidents.
However, investigations are expected to determine the source of the latest emissions and establish whether they were responsible for the symptoms experienced by the students.
Timeline of Previous Gas Leak Incidents in Ogun
On April 1, at least 30 students of Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu-Ode were hospitalised after a suspected gas leak reportedly caused breathing difficulties among students and teachers. The state government initially suspected fumes from carbide cylinders in the surrounding area.
Another incident was reported on May 15 at Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode, where several students reportedly fainted and required medical attention.
Following the incident, the state government constituted a multi-agency team to assess the environmental and public health implications of the recurring emissions.
On June 3, students of Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School were again taken to hospital after another suspected gas leak. It was reported as the third incident in the community within two months.
At the time, the government said investigations were ongoing to determine whether the recurring emissions resulted from natural geological activities or mining operations.
In September, TheCable contacted Oresanya to obtain an update on the investigation, which reportedly commenced in June. However, the commissioner said the probe had not been concluded.