More than 100 college students from a number of secondary colleges in Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Iwoye, in addition to Ijebu-Igbo areas of Ogun State had been reportedly hospitalised on Wednesday following one other incident of suspected poisonous gasoline emissions that left college students and workers struggling for breath.
Victims of the suspected poisonous gasoline emission had been stated to have been admitted on the State Hospitals in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and different healthcare services within the affected communities for medical consideration.
Eyewitness accounts had it that the worst affected colleges in Ogun by the newest incident included the Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, and Itamerin Comprehensive High School, Ago-Iwoye, amongst others.
A viral video on social media indicated that among the affected college students fainted and had been being rushed to hospitals as panic unfold throughout the affected communities within the Ijebu-Odeand Ijebu North Local Government Areas of the state.
LEADERSHIP recalled that Wednesday’s incident has renewed considerations over recurring toxic gasoline emissions in elements of Ijebu land, with residents and college authorities demanding pressing authorities’s intervention to stop additional prevalence.
A trainer in one of many affected colleges, who spoke on situation of anonymity, stated the incident started at about 10 a.m., when college students and workers began experiencing respiratory 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 trainer stated.
According to the trainer, some colleges in Ago-Iwoye had been pressured to shut for the day at about 11 a.m. because the scenario 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 trainer added.
The trainer stated dad and mom who heard in regards to the incident additionally rushed to their youngsters’s colleges to take them dwelling amid fears over their security.
“Some parents who heard about the unfortunate incident came to pick up their children because nobody knows exactly what is happening. We also heard that the gas emissions had been occurring since April, sending hundreds of students to hospitals whenever they resurfaced,” the trainer stated.
Expressing concern over the repeated incidents, the trainer known as on the state authorities to accentuate efforts to determine the supply of the emissions and discover a lasting resolution.
“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 trainer stated.
The newest prevalence is reportedly the fourth time gaseous emissions have prompted panic and disrupted college actions in Ijebu land since April 2026.
It could be recalled that the primary reported incident in April affected about 40 college students, whereas greater than 120 college students had been reportedly hospitalised following one other publicity in May.
Another 69 college students had been reportedly hospitalised on June 1 after one other prevalence.
Schools affected in earlier incidents included Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe (*100*), Ijebu-Ode; Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode; and St Anthony Grammar School, Ijebu-Imusin, amongst others.
The repeated incidents have raised considerations in regards to the security of scholars and workers, significantly because the emissions seem to recur in among the identical areas.
Following earlier incidents, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, stated the state authorities was working with related businesses and consultants to find out the reason for the emissions.
The governor stated the Ministries of Environment and Health had been collaborating with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Department of Geology at Olabisi Onabanjo University to research the phenomenon.
Abiodun, talking on the matter in June, stated gasoline analysers had been put in in affected colleges following earlier incidents to find out the character and focus 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 stated.
“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.”
The governor stated preliminary findings pointed to potential geological elements, together with fault traces, as a possible clarification 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,” he stated.
When contacted on Wednesday, the Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, stated the federal government was monitoring the scenario.
“We are on top of the situation,” he stated.
Also talking on the newest incident, Kehinde Bello, a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abiodun and General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Agency, stated the emissions had been linked to underground gasoline occurrences beforehand recorded in Ijebu-Ode since April 2026.
Bello, who visited the affected areas in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo to evaluate the scenario, stated the federal government was working in direction of discovering an enduring resolution.
He stated investigations by the federal government had indicated that the phenomenon could possibly be a pure prevalence related to geological and tectonic fault traces, slightly than sabotage or a gasoline pipeline leak.
Bello urged residents to stay calm, assuring them that the affected college students had been anticipated to recuperate after receiving medical consideration.
He additionally suggested residents uncovered to the odour to cowl their noses and mouths with moist handkerchiefs slightly than put on nostril masks.
However, the exact supply of the emissions and the circumstances surrounding their repeated prevalence stay central considerations for residents of the affected communities.
As of the time of submitting this report, medical personnel had been stated to be attending to the affected college students on the varied medical services the place they had been admitted.
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