Hundreds of secondary school students have reportedly been taken to hospitals following a fresh outbreak of offensive gaseous odour in parts of Ogun State.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday morning, affected schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye, disrupting academic activities and triggering panic among parents and teachers.
Among the affected schools were Anglican Girls Grammar School, including its public and private sections, in Obalende, Ijebu-Ode, and Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School.
Several students were taken to general hospitals in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo for medical attention, while some schools in Ago-Iwoye reportedly closed abruptly and sent pupils home following the spread of the odour.
Parents and guardians rushed to hospitals to check on the condition of their children as medical personnel attended to the affected students.
The General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, Kehinde Bello, who visited the affected areas, linked the latest incident to underground gas emissions previously recorded in Ijebu-Ode since April 2026.
Bello said the situation was under control and assured residents that the state government would work towards finding a lasting solution.
He said preliminary investigations indicated that the emissions were a natural phenomenon associated with geological and tectonic fault lines, rather than sabotage or a gas pipeline leak.
The agency's general manager urged residents to remain calm, adding that the affected students were expected to recover after receiving medical attention.
He also advised people exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks.
The latest occurrence has renewed concerns about the recurring emissions and their potential impact on residents, particularly schoolchildren.
Residents are awaiting sustained monitoring and preventive measures from the state government to minimise further exposure.
Discussion0