More than 100 students from several secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Iwoye, and Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, have reportedly been hospitalised after inhaling a gaseous substance suspected to be methane.
The affected students were rushed to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, General Hospital, Ijebu-Igbo, and other healthcare facilities following the latest occurrence on Wednesday.
Among the worst-hit schools were Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode, and Itamerin Comprehensive High School in Ago-Iwoye.
A video circulating on social media showed some students fainting and being rushed to hospitals after reportedly inhaling the substance.
A teacher in one of the affected schools, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident began around 10am when students and staff started experiencing breathing difficulties and fainting.
“The students and the staff started inhaling this gas and began to have difficulty breathing and were fainting, after which they were rushed to the hospitals,” the teacher said.
According to the teacher, some schools in Ago-Iwoye were forced to close around 11am as the situation became increasingly unbearable.
The teacher added that worried parents had also visited the schools to take their children home amid uncertainty over the source of the emissions.
The teacher further expressed concern that the gas leak had reportedly been occurring since April, with hundreds of students affected during previous incidents.
“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 roots of this mysterious deadly gas leakage,” the teacher said, urging the authorities to find a lasting solution.
The latest incident is reportedly the fourth time gaseous emissions have triggered panic and hospitalisations in parts of Ijebu land since April 2026.
The first occurrence in April affected about 40 students, while more than 120 students were reportedly hospitalised following another exposure in May.
Another incident on June 1 led to the hospitalisation of 69 students.
Schools affected during previous occurrences included Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage, Ijebu-Ode; Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode; and St Anthony Grammar School, Ijebu-Imusin.
In June, Governor Dapo Abiodun said the state government 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 cause of the emissions.
The governor explained that gas analysers had been installed in affected schools following earlier incidents, with preliminary findings identifying the substance as methane.
He also disclosed that investigators were examining possible geological factors, including fault lines, that could be responsible for the emissions.
Speaking on Wednesday’s development, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the government was handling the situation.
“We are on top of the situation,” he said.
Kehinde Bello, a Senior Special Assistant to the governor and General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Agency, who visited the affected areas in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo, linked the latest occurrence to underground gas emissions previously recorded in the communities.
Bello said the situation was under control and assured residents that the government would work towards finding a permanent solution.
According to him, government investigations indicated that 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, adding that the affected students were expected to recover after receiving medical attention.
Bello also advised residents exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks.
Medical personnel were reportedly attending to the affected students at the general hospitals as of the time of filing this report.
The recurring incidents have heightened concerns among parents, teachers, and residents over the safety of students in the affected communities, with calls mounting for the government to establish the precise source of the emissions and prevent further exposure.
