By Ademola Ade
The Federal Government has deployed a specialised technical team to Ogun State to investigate recurring gas emissions that have triggered health concerns and disrupted academic activities in secondary schools across the Ijebu axis, with more than 100 students reportedly hospitalised following exposure.
The intervention, coordinated by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), is aimed at determining the source of the emissions, establishing their composition and recommending lasting solutions to prevent further incidents.
The deployment followed repeated reports of suspected underground gas seepages in communities around Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Iwoye and Ijebu-Igbo, where students and other residents reportedly suffered breathing difficulties after inhaling an offensive substance.
Speaking during a joint briefing and commencement of a site assessment in Ijebu-Ode on Saturday, leader of the Federal Government’s Ad-hoc Committee and Assistant Director at NUPRC, Prosper Okonedo, said preliminary indications suggested that the emissions might be linked to natural geological processes rather than petroleum pipeline leaks.
He, however, stressed that further investigations were necessary to establish the actual source.
According to him, the Commission’s Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyawa Eyesan, directed the constitution of the committee following an initial assessment by the Ogun State Government.
Okonedo said: “about two weeks ago, the Commission Chief Executive of NUPRC, Mrs. Oritsemeyawa Eyesan, advised that we set up an ad-hoc committee from the Lagos regional office to come to the state because the state government had conducted an initial assessment and submitted their report.”
He disclosed that the Commission was also investigating similar incidents in Rivers and Delta states.
“Presently, we have a study group known as the Epe Study Group. They are looking into similar issues in a village community in Rivers State, and there is one right now in Delta State where we have established that gas seepage is emanating from the subsurface.
“However, for this state, we cannot really say what it is right now. That is why we are here, and we are going to deploy to the site to see the situation for ourselves, even though the state government had reported seepages of gas affecting certain secondary schools in some communities,” he said.
Okonedo assured residents that the Federal Government was committed to resolving the problem and protecting affected communities.
“The government is there to ensure the welfare and well-being of the Nigerian people. If that is the paramount role of government, that is why we as a Commission have come to work with the state government to proffer solutions to whatever problem exists in this community.
“My team and I will do an assessment and come up with a report that will work well for the Nigerian people,” he added.
Also speaking, Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, described the recurring emissions as an emerging environmental challenge requiring coordinated intervention and specialised technical expertise.
He said similar incidents had been reported in Rivers, Delta and Osun states, suggesting that the problem might not be peculiar to Ogun.
“We have similar problems going on right now in Rivers, Delta, Osun, and here in Ogun State. Coincidentally for us in Ogun State, this is happening around schools. But we need to establish that what is happening around the region is similar to what we are witnessing here; it is not just a local problem,” he said.
Oresanya urged residents to remain calm while investigations continued, insisting that preliminary findings pointed to subsurface gas rather than pipeline leaks.
“All I want to say is that we don’t have any reason to panic. All we need to do is stay concerned, but please don’t panic. What we know and what we are bringing to the table is that the gas affecting our people is subsurface gas. We’ve proved that over and over.
“There is no gas pipeline at Owode in Ikenne, and there is no gas pipeline around Ijebu-Omu where these things are happening. It is coming from the upper crust. It is a natural occurrence, and what triggers it will be established,” he stated.
The commissioner also ruled out any immediate plan to relocate residents, saying the government was consulting global best practices and examining appropriate public health measures.
Meanwhile, Professor Philip Ikhiane, a Professor of Sedimentary Petroleum Geochemistry at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, and leader of the Ogun State Technical Investigating Team, said preliminary geological investigations had identified underground structural features that could be associated with the emissions.
He explained that geological surveys and remote sensing operations had revealed subsurface lineaments, which could represent faults, fractures or joints through which naturally occurring gases might migrate to the surface.
He said further investigations were required to establish the relationship between the geological features and the reported emissions.
The latest Federal Government intervention follows repeated incidents in which more than 100 students from secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Iwoye and Ijebu-Igbo were reportedly hospitalised after inhaling an offensive gaseous substance.
The affected students were taken to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, General Hospital, Ijebu-Igbo and other healthcare facilities.
Schools reportedly worst affected include Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode, and Itamerin Comprehensive High School, Ago-Iwoye.
A teacher in one of the affected schools, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the incident as frightening.
“The incident happened at about 10 am. The students and the staff started inhaling this gas and began to have difficulty in breathing and were fainting, after which they were rushed to the hospitals,” the teacher said.
The first reported incident occurred in April, affecting about 40 students. In May, more than 120 students were reportedly hospitalised following another exposure, while another 69 students were taken to hospitals on June 1.
Other schools previously affected include Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Epe Garage, Ijebu-Ode; Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode; and St Anthony Grammar School, Ijebu-Imusin.
The Ogun State Government had earlier identified the substance as methane. However, the Federal Government’s investigation is expected to establish its precise composition, source and pathway to the surface.
A video circulating on social media had also shown students collapsing and being rushed to hospitals following one of the suspected exposure incidents.
The recurring occurrences have heightened anxiety among parents, teachers and residents, with concerns over the safety of schools and possible long-term environmental and public health consequences.
