Daud Olatunji
Fresh methane emissions have reportedly affected several communities in Ogun State, leaving more than 30 secondary school students requiring medical attention as a strange odour disrupted academic activities in Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, affected students of Anglican Girls Grammar School, including its public and private sections, in Obalende, Ijebu-Ode, and Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School.
Several affected students were rushed to general hospitals in Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo after reportedly experiencing symptoms including shortness of breath, stomach disorders and drowsiness.
Some of the students reportedly required oxygen to stabilise their conditions, while others received less intensive medical treatment.
The incident triggered panic among parents, guardians and teachers, with some rushing to the hospitals to ascertain the condition of the affected students.
In Ago-Iwoye, the pungent odour also disrupted school activities, forcing some schools to close abruptly and send pupils home.
Speaking during an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas, the General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, Kehinde Bello, said more than 30 students had received treatment at the General Hospital in Ijebu-Ode.
Bello explained that preliminary government investigations had linked the recurring emissions to underground geological activities and tectonic fault lines, rather than sabotage or a gas pipeline leak.
He said, “We left the General Hospital earlier, where over 30 students were attended to for common symptoms, according to the doctor, and the findings from the affected students include shortness of breath, stomach disorder, drowsiness, among others.
“While some of them needed oxygen to be stabilised, others just needed minor medical attention. As at the time we were leaving the hospital, most of the students had been discharged, but a few are still under monitoring.”
The OGEPA chief said the odour was not restricted to the affected schools, noting that residents in surrounding communities had also experienced the phenomenon.
“We are presently at Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School for assessment and further investigations. We also checked the surrounding area. This odour was not peculiar to the schools alone; those in the environs were also affected,” he added.
According to Bello, the chairman of Ijebu North Local Government also confirmed perceiving the odour at the council secretariat.
He assured residents that the state government was working towards finding a lasting solution to the recurring emissions, urging them to remain calm while investigations continued.
Residents exposed to the odour were also advised to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks.
The latest incident has renewed concerns about the safety of students and residents in communities repeatedly affected by underground gas emissions, particularly as the phenomenon continues to disrupt school activities and trigger hospital visits.
In June 2026, the Ogun State Government attributed similar incidents in some schools in Ijebu-Ode to natural underground geological processes, dismissing speculations linking the emissions to spiritual beliefs or security threats.
The state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, had said scientific investigations identified methane and sulphide gases as the major emissions escaping through underground fractures along established fault lines.
Oresanya explained that the affected areas were located along the Ifewara-Zungeru Trans-Atlantic fault line, which stretches from Mojoda through Ijebu-Ode to parts of Osun and Niger states.
