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No fewer than 100 students and teachers were hospitalised on Friday following exposure to a suspected chemical odour at multiple schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, officials have confirmed.
The affected schools include Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Obalende, and Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage, according to sources.
Affected students complained of stomach aches, weakness and breathing difficulties after inhaling the substance, sources said. They were rushed to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, and some private medical facilities for treatment.
The Ogun Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday, saying relevant agencies had commenced necessary interventions.
The ministries of education and environment, security agencies, and local government authorities were jointly handling the situation, Oresanya said.
He explained that an Air Quality Monitoring Device installed at Ijebu Ode Grammar School detected elevated methane concentrations, with readings of about 13,500 parts per million in the surrounding area.
The methane concentration remained below the lower explosive limit but required immediate technical investigation and precautionary measures, Oresanya said.
The commissioner said the monitoring device forms part of the state’s environmental surveillance programme for detecting abnormal air quality conditions.
He added that the state government would activate a multi-agency environmental and public health assessment team to investigate the incident, determine the emission source, assess exposure risks and evaluate other associated gases, including hydrogen sulphide, volatile organic compounds and other air quality parameters.
Oresanya advised residents to remain calm and go about their normal activities while avoiding open flames near areas with unusual gas odours.
He also urged residents experiencing dizziness, headaches, nausea or respiratory discomfort to seek immediate medical attention.
The government is committed to protecting lives, public health, and environmental safety across the state, Oresanya said, assuring residents that verified updates would be provided as investigations progress.
A similar incident occurred in April at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode, which left no fewer than 30 students and one teacher hospitalised after inhaling a suspected chemical odour, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
