Gas leak hits Ogun School again, scores hospitalised in third incident in two months

A recurring gas leak at Our Lady of Apostle Secondary School in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, has once again sent scores of students and staff to hospital, marking the third such incident within two months.

The latest occurrence, which happened on Wednesday during school hours, reportedly caused panic after students and teachers detected a strong offensive smell, leading to breathing difficulties, weakness, and fainting among some victims.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said affected individuals were rushed to the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, where they received treatment, while some remained on admission.

“Some of the affected students and staff members were subsequently taken to the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, where they received medical attention. Some of the students were still on admission. The general complaint is discomfort, weakness, some of them even fainted,” the source said.

The resident called on the government to urgently investigate and resolve the situation, warning that repeated exposure to the suspected gas leak poses serious health risks to the school community.

In response, the Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, confirmed awareness of the incident and said authorities had begun efforts to address the source of the leakage.

He disclosed that monitoring devices had helped identify the origin of the emissions behind the school located around Epe Garage, Ijebu Ode.

“Yes I am aware of this gas leak incident and we have detected the source through our installed monitoring devices. The gas leakage is coming from behind Our Lady of Apostle School, Ijebu Ode,” he said.

According to him, a multi-agency team comprising environmental regulators, emergency responders, and technical experts has been deployed to assess the situation, determine the type and spread of the emissions, and evaluate potential health risks, including hydrogen sulphide and volatile organic compounds.

The school has previously experienced similar incidents in April and May, during which dozens of students were hospitalised following suspected gas exposure, raising growing concerns among residents and parents over environmental safety in the area.