Nigeria: Mystery gas leaks hit Ijebu-Ode schools

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

Residents of Ijebu-Ode and neighbouring communities in Ogun State have been living with unexplained gas emissions for about two months. The leaks have repeatedly forced students and teachers out of classrooms due to sudden odours and breathing difficulties.

The incidents began in April at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode. Since then, several schools have reported similar episodes:

Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School 

 Anglican Girls Grammar School  

 Titilayo Comprehensive High School  

St. Peter’s Anglican Primary School, Ifa Ijemo  

Symptoms reported include nausea, dizziness, coughing and difficulty breathing. No deaths have been recorded, but students and staff have been evacuated multiple times when the smell appears.

Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said preliminary tests detected methane and traces of hydrogen sulphide in the air around affected schools. He said the gases likely originate from underground geological activity rather than industrial discharge.

A task force involving the Ministry of Environment, Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, fire service, and health officials has been deployed to monitor the area. Portable gas detectors are now installed in the most affected schools.

Officials have ruled out pipeline vandalism and industrial pollution for now, but tests continue. Residents have been advised to report any strong odours immediately and avoid confined spaces when the smell is detected.

The state government says it will keep schools under close monitoring until the source is fully identified and mitigated. Parents have been assured that emergency response teams are on standby.

Until then, classes in the worst-hit schools are being held outdoors or shortened when alerts are triggered.