By Emmanuella Opara | October 22nd 2026
KEY POINTS
- More than 300 students and teachers have reportedly been hospitalised following four major incidents involving unusual gaseous emissions in Ogun State between April and October 2026.
- The incidents have affected schools in Ijebu-Ode and neighbouring communities, with victims reporting breathing difficulties, stomach disorders, weakness and fainting.
- Government monitoring equipment detected elevated methane concentrations in Ijebu-Ode, but investigations have yet to establish a conclusive source for the recurring emissions.
- The latest incident on October 21 affected more than 100 students across several secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye.
MAIN STORY
More than 300 students and teachers have reportedly been hospitalised following recurring incidents of unusual gaseous emissions in Ogun State between April and October 2026, with investigations yet to provide a conclusive explanation for the occurrences.
The incidents have affected schools in Ijebu-Ode and neighbouring communities, leaving students with symptoms including breathing difficulties, stomach disorders, weakness, drowsiness and fainting. The repeated episodes have also prompted temporary school closures and emergency medical responses. The first widely reported incident occurred on April 1 at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage, Ijebu-Ode, where at least 30 students and one teacher were hospitalised after a gaseous substance spread across the school premises shortly after morning assembly. Some students reportedly collapsed, vomited and experienced breathing difficulties before being taken to the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, for treatment. At the time, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the substance responsible had not been identified.
The state government ordered the school’s closure on April 2 and directed security agencies to investigate. Governor Dapo Abiodun also ordered the establishment of a situation room at the General Hospital to provide free treatment for affected students and residents of nearby communities. No deaths were reported in the first incident. On May 15, another episode affected more than 100 students and teachers in several schools, including Anglican Girls Grammar School, Obalende, and Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage. Victims reportedly complained of stomach aches, weakness and breathing difficulties, while some fainted and required assistance to reach medical facilities. Those affected were taken to the Ogun State Hospital in Ijebu-Ode and private hospitals.
Subsequent air-quality monitoring detected elevated methane concentrations in Ijebu-Ode, with peak readings of approximately 13,500 parts per million in surrounding locations. The government said the readings were below the lower explosive limit but remained environmentally significant and required further investigation. On May 17, the Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, said all patients admitted to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, following the incident had been discharged after receiving treatment. She explained that methane could displace oxygen, potentially causing fatigue, rapid heartbeat and breathing difficulties, depending on exposure levels. The government also announced plans to strengthen emergency medical response in the area by deploying ambulance crews and training teachers and interested parents as community first responders.
A third incident was reported on June 3 at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, where 69 students were hospitalised after experiencing symptoms associated with an unusual odour. The Commissioner for Health later confirmed that all the students had been discharged after receiving medical care. The repeated incidents renewed concerns among parents, teachers and residents about the source of the emissions and their potential health effects. Other schools identified in reports about the earlier episodes included Titilayo Agbaje Comprehensive High School and Ifesowapo Comprehensive High School in Imosan, as well as St Anthony Grammar School in the Ijebu-Imushin area. Following the recurrences, the government announced plans to temporarily relocate students from the affected school while investigations continued. By June, officials had proposed a geological explanation, suggesting that underground gases could be escaping through fractures associated with geological and tectonic fault lines. The government ruled out sabotage and gas pipeline leaks as explanations for the earlier incidents.
However, the explanation did not end the recurring episodes.
On October 21, a fresh incident was reported across Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye, with more than 100 students hospitalised after inhaling an offensive gaseous substance. The affected schools included Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School and Itamerin Comprehensive High School in Ago-Iwoye. Students reportedly experienced shortness of breath, stomach disorders and drowsiness, while some fainted and required urgent medical attention. Some victims reportedly needed oxygen to stabilise their conditions. The students were taken to the State Hospital in Ijebu-Ode, the General Hospital in Ijebu-Igbo and other healthcare facilities. School activities were also disrupted in Ago-Iwoye, where some schools sent students home. The odour was reportedly detected at the secretariat of Ijebu North Local Government Area, suggesting that the incident extended beyond school premises.
The state government said the situation was under control and that investigations had begun to determine the source and extent of the emissions. Oresanya linked the latest episode to previous underground gas emissions in the Ijebu axis, while a team from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission joined the assessment. As of October 21, reports had not established the cause of the latest incident conclusively. TheCable also reported that an investigation launched in June had remained unfinished as of September, according to information obtained after it contacted the Commissioner for Environment.
The recurring incidents have left questions about whether the emissions share a common source, why they continue to occur and what measures can prevent further exposure. The outstanding concerns also include the potential health risks to residents and the steps required to ensure the safety of schools and surrounding communities.
THE ISSUES
The repeated hospitalisations have become a public health and school safety concern in Ogun State. Although monitoring equipment detected methane in affected areas and the government proposed an underground geological source, the available reports do not establish a conclusive explanation for the recurring emissions.
The incidents have also affected several schools and extended into surrounding communities, making it necessary to determine the geographical spread of the emissions and the risks they pose to people beyond school premises.
WHAT’S NEXT
Investigations by the Ogun State Government and relevant regulatory agencies are expected to establish the source and extent of the emissions. Further assessments will also be needed to determine why the episodes continue to recur and what preventive measures can protect students, teachers and residents.
BOTTOM LINE
More than 300 students and teachers have reportedly been hospitalised in four major episodes of unusual gaseous emissions in Ogun State since April. Despite methane detections and a proposed geological explanation for earlier incidents, the source of the recurring emissions remains unresolved in the reports available as of October 21.
