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The Ogun State Government has said geological fault lines are responsible for the recurring gas emissions in Ijebu-Ode.
Three separate gas emission incidents have been recorded in the town, leaving several students and teachers hospitalised.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Ijebu-Ode on Sunday, the state’s Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, described the incidents as natural underground geological events.
According to Oresanya, investigations showed that methane and sulphide gases were responsible for the emissions, while the Ifewara-Zungeru trans-Atlantic fault line was identified as a major factor behind the recurring incidents.
He explained that the fault line stretches from Mojoda through Ijebu-Ode to Osun State, noting that the affected schools are located along the identified geological corridor.
Oresanya said the area was historically forested and largely uninhabited before missionary settlements were established. He added that the land was later allocated to missionaries, who built schools in the affected locations.
The commissioner said further laboratory analyses would determine the exact source of the gases.
He explained that researchers were investigating whether the gases were thermogenic or methanogenic and were also examining the possibility of natural gas deposits beneath the affected communities.
The Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, urged residents to remain calm and adhere to safety measures whenever gas emissions occur.
“Cover your nose with a wet handkerchief and avoid face masks,” Coker advised.
She warned that face masks could be unsafe during such incidents and urged residents experiencing emergencies to contact the state’s emergency health line on **08112000033**.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbadu, said the affected schools would only reopen after consultations with relevant stakeholders.
He appealed to parents to allow the government to complete the necessary safety procedures before students return to school.
