A fourth outbreak of underground gas emissions in Ogun State has left at least 95 students hospitalised at the State Hospital in Ijebu-Ode alone, forced the closure of schools across Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye, and spread panic among parents who fear the long-term health consequences of inhaling the mysterious odour.
The crisis, which occurred on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, is the latest in a series of incidents that have affected more than 300 students and teachers since April, ValidViewNetwork reports .
THE INCIDENT
The affected schools included Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, and Itamerin Comprehensive High School in Ago-Iwoye, among others.
Students reportedly experienced shortness of breath, stomach disorders and drowsiness. Some fainted and were rushed to hospitals, while others required oxygen to stabilise their conditions.
At the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, a staff member confirmed that 95 students were treated and discharged.
“We attended to and treated 95 students and all of them were discharged yesterday (Wednesday). It had to do with breathing problems. All of them were complaining of chest pain,” the staff member said .
“There were some we revived with oxygen, and we attended to all of them. This is the fourth time it is happening, and as it is happening here at Ijebu-Ode, I heard that it was happening at Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye, which are far from here”.
THE PARENTS’ FEAR
A parent, Mrs Yetunde Joseph, voiced the anxiety shared by many.
“Although since this started, no one died, there are possibilities that this may be causing damage to their body that no one knows. Hope this thing that we are inhaling with our children won’t affect us in the future,” she said .
The Secretary of the Ijebu-Ode Parents Forum, Adetayo Adegbenro, said all the affected children were treated free of charge but urged the government to intensify efforts to find a lasting solution.
“To the government, even though we have seen their impact, they should try more and ensure this strange odour ends because it is making parents scared of bringing their children to the school for fear of recurrence. This is a bad thing, and we don’t want it to happen again,” he said.
“Our students in Ijebu-Ode are committed to education, and we don’t want anything that will discourage them from schooling. Government should help us to check it very well and give a lasting solution to it”.
THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION
Governor Dapo Abiodun said the state government had installed gas analysers across the schools following the first occurrence, and the gas had been confirmed to be methane.
“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,” Abiodun said .
Kehinde Bello, General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Agency, linked the latest occurrence to underground gas emissions previously recorded in the area since April 2026.
He said investigations indicated it was a natural occurrence linked to geological and tectonic fault lines, not sabotage or a pipeline leak .
He advised residents exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks, and urged them to remain calm.
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THE PATTERN
The gas emission crisis began in early April 2026 at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu-Ode, when about 30 students and teachers were hospitalised after inhaling a strange gaseous substance shortly after morning assembly.
The school was closed while investigations continued.
Subsequent outbreaks were recorded in May, when more than 100 pupils and teachers were affected, and in June, when 69 pupils were hospitalised .
In May, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said air-quality monitoring equipment had recorded peak methane readings of about 13,500 parts per million in surrounding locations.
WHY IT MATTERS
Four outbreaks in six months. Over 300 students and teachers hospitalised. And the government still does not have a definitive answer.
The methane is real. The fault lines are real.
But the anxiety of parents who send their children to school every morning, not knowing whether they will be called to come and pick them up from a hospital, is also real.
The government has promised a lasting solution. Until that solution arrives, the children of Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye are breathing air that may be harming them in ways that no one can yet measure. ValidViewNetwork reports