In Ogun State, an emission of toxic gaseous substances has left over 100 students hospitalised in the latest of what is now a deadly, recurring gas leakage incident in the South West state.
The latest emission case happened on Wednesday in Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Iwoye and Ijebu-Igbo, with the state government suspending academic activities and shutting down schools affected in the area.
The worst-hit schools in this fresh gas leak incident are Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, Itamerin Comprehensive High School and some schools in Ago-Iwoye.
The affected pupils were rushed to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode; the General Hospital, Ijebu-Igbo; and other healthcare centres for medical attention. A viral video on social media showed pupils reportedly losing consciousness and being rushed to hospitals following the incident.
How the latest gas leak happened
A teacher at one of the affected schools revealed that the incident happened at about 10am when pupils and staff started having difficulties breathing, with some collapsing.
The teacher, who spoke in confidence with newsmen, disclosed that some schools in Ago-Iwoye were forced to close at about 11am as the situation deteriorated.
“The pupils and staff started inhaling the gas and began to have difficulty breathing. Some of them fainted and were rushed to hospitals
“The worst-hit schools include Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School and Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode. Some parents who heard about the incident also came to pick up their children because nobody knew what was happening,” the teacher told Vanguard
The teacher expressed concern over the perennial emissions, which schools in the area have reportedly been grappling with since April, warning that pupils and staff continue to face potential health risks.
“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.
Timeline of emissions
The state government had previously identified the substance as methane, although the precise source of the recurring emissions remains under investigation.
Wednesday’s incident was the fourth reported occurrence of gaseous emissions in the Ijebu area in the last seven months, with the first emissions recorded in April, raising fresh concerns about the safety of pupils, teachers and other residents.
In April, about 40 pupils were reportedly affected by the emissions. In more than 120 others were hospitalised following another incident. A further occurrence on June 1 reportedly left 69 pupils hospitalised
Schools previously affected included Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage, Ijebu-Ode; Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode; and St Anthony Grammar School, Ijebu-Imusin, among others.
The latest incident has amplified demands for the state government to ascertain the cause and precise source of the emissions and find a lasting solution to prevent further health hazards.
What authorities are saying
Following previous incidents, the state governor said it was collaborating 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 of the emissions.
The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, who made this known, disclosed that gas analysers had been installed in affected schools after the initial incident, while preliminary findings pointed to methane as the substance involved.
“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.
Speaking after Wednesday’s emissions, the state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the government was on top of the situation.
For his part, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant and General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Agency, Kehinde Bello, who visited affected areas in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo, linked the latest incident to underground gas emissions previously recorded in the area.
Bello assured residents that the government would work towards finding a lasting solution to the recurring problem.
He said the government’s findings had revealed that the phenomenon was a natural occurrence associated with geological and tectonic fault lines, rather than sabotage or a gas pipeline leak.
Bello urged residents to remain calm as the situation was under control, adding that the affected pupils were expected to recover after receiving medical attention.
He also implored residents exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks.
