Fourth Gas Leak in Six Months: Over 100 Ogun Pupils Hospitalised, Schools Shut as Parents Panic

A fresh methane gas emission has forced schools to shut down and sent more than 100 pupils to hospitals across Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye — the fourth such incident in Ogun State since April — as anxious parents demand answers and the government insists the situation is under control.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday morning, with students and staff at several secondary schools beginning to experience breathing difficulties at about 10 a.m. after inhaling an offensive gaseous substance. Some pupils fainted and were rushed to the State Hospital in Ijebu-Ode, the General Hospital in Ijebu-Igbo and other healthcare facilities for treatment. Among the worst-hit schools were Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode (both public and private sections), and Itamerin Comprehensive High School in Ago-Iwoye. A video circulating on social media showed pupils fainting as panic spread through the affected communities. A teacher at one of the affected schools, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some schools in Ago-Iwoye were forced to close around 11 a.m. as the situation became “frightening and unbearable.” Worried parents rushed to the schools to pick up their children, with the teacher adding: “Nobody knows what is happening.”

A government assessment team visited the General Hospital in Ijebu-Ode, where more than 30 students were treated. According to medical findings, the symptoms included shortness of breath, stomach disorders and drowsiness. While some students required oxygen to stabilise their conditions, others received less intensive 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 subsequently visited Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School for further assessment. Findings indicated that the odour was not limited to school premises, as residents in neighbouring areas also reported experiencing it. The Chairman of Ijebu North Local Government Area confirmed perceiving the odour at the council secretariat. A team from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) also arrived at the scene to participate in the assessment and investigation.

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Wednesday’s incident is the fourth reported gas emission in the Ijebu area since April 2026. The first incident in April affected about 40 students, while more than 120 were hospitalised following another exposure in May. A further 69 students were hospitalised on June 1 after a similar occurrence. Previous incidents affected schools including Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu-Ode, Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode, and St Anthony Grammar School in Ijebu-Imusin. The recurrence has heightened anxiety among parents, teachers and residents, who are demanding that the government establish the precise source of the emissions and implement a lasting solution. TheCable reported in September that the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the investigation that began in June had yet to be concluded.

The Ogun State Government has identified the substance as methane and linked the emissions to natural geological factors, specifically underground fractures along tectonic fault lines in the region. Kehinde Bello, General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Agency, who visited the affected areas, said investigations indicated the phenomenon was “a natural occurrence associated with geological and tectonic fault lines, rather than sabotage or a gas pipeline leak.” He urged residents to remain calm and advised those exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks. The state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the government was “on top of the situation.” He also noted that the affected areas fall within the Ifewara-Zungeru Trans-Atlantic fault line, which stretches from Mojoda through Ijebu-Ode to Osun and Niger states. Governor Dapo Abiodun had previously 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 determine the root cause of the emissions. Gas analysers were installed in affected schools after earlier incidents.

The recurring gas emissions have exposed a serious gap in environmental safety for schoolchildren in Ogun State. Despite government assurances that the situation is under control, the fact that this is the fourth incident in six months — with hundreds of pupils affected cumulatively — raises urgent questions about whether adequate measures have been taken to protect students and staff. The government has said it is awaiting a final report from professionals handling the investigation, but for parents and teachers in the affected communities, the wait has already come at a significant cost.