The affected students were taken to the State Hospital in Ijebu-Ode, General Hospital in Ijebu-Igbo and other healthcare facilities for treatment following the latest incident.
Schools reportedly worst affected include Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School, Anglican Girls Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode and Itamerin Comprehensive High School in Ago Iwoye.
A video circulating on social media showed some students fainting and being rushed to hospitals after inhaling the substance, which the state government had previously identified as methane.
A teacher at one of the affected schools, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident occurred at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, leaving students and staff struggling to breathe before some of them fainted.
“Some of the schools in Ago Iwoye had to close for the day around 11 a.m. when the situation was becoming horrible and unbearable,” the teacher said, adding that worried parents also arrived to take their children home.
The teacher expressed concern over the recurrence of the gas emissions, alleging that similar incidents had been sending students to hospitals since April.
The latest occurrence is reportedly the fourth time the mysterious gas emission has affected schools in the Ijebu area this year.
The first incident in April affected about 40 students, while more than 120 students were reportedly hospitalised following another exposure in May. A further 69 students were hospitalised on June 1 after another occurrence.
Other schools affected in previous incidents include Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Epe Garage, Ijebu-Ode, Anglican Girls Grammar School and St Anthony Grammar School in Ijebu-Imusin.
In June, Governor Dapo Abiodun said the state government was working with the Ministries of Environment and Health, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Department of Geology at Olabisi Onabanjo University to establish the cause of the emissions.
The governor said gas analysers had been installed in affected schools following the initial incident, with tests confirming the presence of methane.
He added that preliminary findings suggested possible geological factors, including fault lines, could be responsible for the emissions, while the government awaited a final report from experts.
When contacted on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the government was on top of the situation.
Kehinde Bello, a Senior Special Assistant to the governor who also serves as General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Agency, said the latest incident was linked to underground gas emissions previously recorded in Ijebu-Ode since April.
Bello said the situation was under control and assured residents that the government would work towards a lasting solution.
He added that government investigations suggested the phenomenon was a natural occurrence associated with geological and tectonic fault lines rather than sabotage or a gas pipeline leak.
Bello urged residents to remain calm, saying the affected students were expected to recover after receiving medical attention. He also advised people exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs rather than wear nose masks.
Medical personnel were reportedly attending to the affected students as of the time of filing this report.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the recurring gaseous emissions and their potential impact on schools and the safety of students in the affected communities.
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