Barely one month after a chemical odour incident at schools in Ijebu-Ode, another suspected chemical emission has affected more than 90 students across several schools in the ancient town, triggering panic among residents, parents and school authorities.
Parents and guardians reportedly rushed to various schools on Thursday to evacuate their children as a strange odour spread across parts of the city.
Dozens of affected students were rescued and taken by emergency responders to the State Hospital in Ijebu-Ode for treatment after complaining of abdominal pain and other health-related symptoms.
Some of the affected schools include Our Lady of Apostles Girls School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode Grammar School and Sambadola Private School, alongside other schools around the Epe Garage and Obalende areas of the town.
The latest development comes weeks after a similar chemical odour outbreak reportedly caused health complications among students in the area.
Eyewitnesses said the strange smell also spread to nearby communities and streets, heightening anxiety among residents.
At the time of the incident, government officials had yet to arrive at the State Hospital where many of the students were receiving treatment.
However, the Commissioner for Education, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, later visited the hospital and appealed to parents to remain calm while medical personnel attended to the affected students.
According to him, environmental officials from both federal and state agencies had been contacted for urgent intervention.
Speaking on the incident, the General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, Kehinde Bello, said an air quality monitoring device installed at Ijebu-Ode Grammar School detected elevated methane concentrations in parts of the town.
Bello disclosed that the device recorded methane levels peaking at about 13,500 parts per million in some surrounding areas.
He explained that the monitoring equipment was deployed under the state government’s environmental surveillance programme to detect abnormal air quality conditions and support early public health response.
According to Bello, although the methane concentration remained below the lower explosive limit, the readings were environmentally significant and required immediate technical investigation and precautionary measures.
He added that the Ogun State Government had activated a multi-agency environmental and public health assessment team involving environmental regulators, emergency response agencies and air quality experts.
Residents were advised to remain calm, continue normal activities, but avoid open flames or ignition sources in areas where unusual gas odours are detected.
“Any symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea or respiratory discomfort should be promptly reported to nearby health facilities,” Bello stated.
He assured residents that the state government remained committed to protecting public health and environmental safety while investigations continue.
