On Ogun State’s recurring gas crisis

Since April, there have been about four different reported gas leak incidents in Ogun State. In the most recent incident, which was last week, more than 30 students were hospitalised following gas leaks at several schools in the state. In this environmental hazard, whose precise source remains unresolved, the symptoms included shortness of breath, stomach disorders and drowsiness. Some students reportedly required oxygen, while a few remained under observation after others had been discharged.

This should worry all of us. When children leave home for school in the morning, their parents expect them to return with new knowledge, friendships and perhaps a little homework. They do not expect to receive distress calls that their children are struggling to breathe, collapsing in classrooms or being rushed to hospital after inhaling an unexplained gas.

The disturbing aspect of this development is its recurrence. On April 1, at least 30 students of Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu-Ode were hospitalised following a suspected gas leak. Eighteen more students reportedly sought treatment later. In May, another episode affected students and teachers in the area. A further incident was reported in June, when students were again taken to hospital after inhaling an unusual substance.

These are not disconnected events that government can address through isolated emergency visits. They constitute a pattern demanding a comprehensive environmental investigation and a public-health response capable of preventing another occurrence.

Indeed, in June, the Ogun State Government announced the temporary relocation of students from Our Lady of Apostles Girls Grammar School while investigations continued. Preliminary findings indicated the presence of methane, and the government said experts were examining possible geological factors.

The Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, had previously attributed the emissions to underground gases escaping through fractures associated with geological and tectonic fault lines. The government also reported identifying methane and sulphide gases during its earlier investigations.

However, a crucial distinction must be made between identifying gases in an affected area and conclusively establishing the source, movement, concentration and health implications of recurring emissions. The discovery of methane does not, by itself, explain every symptom reported, nor does a geological hypothesis establish that the environment is safe.

TheCable reported on October 21 that the investigation had not been concluded when it contacted the commissioner in September to ascertain its outcome. Now, another incident has occurred.

This is precisely where the conversation must move beyond the immediate question of how many students were affected. The more important questions are: Why does this keep happening? Which locations are at risk? What exposure levels are dangerous? What measures will prevent another outbreak? And who will independently verify that affected schools are safe for occupation?

The suggestion that underground gas may be escaping through natural geological fractures deserves serious scientific examination. If this is indeed the cause, it would not necessarily mean that anyone deliberately released the gas or that an industrial operator is responsible.

But a natural hazard is still a hazard. Governments have a responsibility to protect citizens from environmental dangers, whether those dangers originate from human activity or natural processes. Earthquakes, flooding, landslides and volcanic emissions may have natural origins, but their consequences can be reduced through scientific investigation, early-warning systems, appropriate land-use planning and emergency preparedness.

The same principle should apply in Ogun State. Methane is particularly concerning because, although it is not poisonous in the conventional sense, high concentrations can displace oxygen and cause asphyxiation. It is also highly flammable and can form explosive mixtures with air within the appropriate concentration range. Depending on the substance involved, other gases may present additional toxic or corrosive risks.

The reported presence of sulphide gases makes it especially important that investigators identify the precise compounds and measure their concentrations rather than treating every episode as an identical methane event. The public should not be left to guess whether the odour is harmless, whether a school is safe or whether children should return to their classrooms.

First, the Ogun State Government should commission and publish a comprehensive, independent scientific investigation involving qualified geologists, environmental scientists, atmospheric specialists, occupational and environmental health experts, and relevant federal regulatory agencies.

The investigation should map the affected locations, determine the composition and concentration of the emissions, establish their likely sources and identify the geological or other processes responsible. It should also examine whether mining, excavation, waste disposal, industrial activity or other human factors could be contributing to the problem, rather than ruling out possibilities before the evidence is complete.

Related News

• Omission: INEC decides Pantami, Adebutu’s fate today
• Awujale to emerge before May 2027, Abiodun assures
• Remi Tinubu extends food outreach to Ogun

The findings should be published in language that parents, teachers and residents can understand. If the investigation is incomplete, the government should say so, provide a clear timetable and explain what interim safety measures are being implemented.

Second, the government must establish a permanent environmental monitoring network around affected schools and neighbouring communities. Monitoring should cover methane, hydrogen sulphide and other relevant gases identified by scientific assessment. Instruments should be properly calibrated, and readings should be assessed by competent experts.

Where technically feasible, continuous monitors should be linked to an early-warning system that alerts school administrators, emergency responders and environmental authorities when concentrations reach established safety thresholds. Monitoring data and incident reports should be made publicly accessible.

Third, the government should review human activities that are likely to worsen this natural crisis. For instance, when individuals drill water boreholes without geological supervision, they might puncture the gas pockets that fault lines in geological formations have created, thereby creating direct chimneys for toxic fumes to rise. This is the exact same way toxic gases are released by miners – which has deadlier consequences considering that miners are underground with limited access to oxygen.

Similarly, heavy blasting at nearby quarries sends violent shockwaves into the ground, cracking rocks further and opening new escape routes for the gas. Therefore, the Ogun State Government could place a temporary ban on borehole drilling and quarry blasting near the fault lines until safe zones are legally mapped.

Fourth, school safety must take precedence over the academic calendar. Any school affected by a suspected hazardous emission should be evacuated promptly when necessary and closed until competent authorities determine that it is safe to reopen. Where the danger persists, students should be relocated to suitable well-ventilated alternative facilities, with arrangements to minimise disruption to their education.

From available information, I could guess that the gas leaks affect schools more because of the convergence of young people in enclosed spaces, which makes it harder for the hazardous gases to be adequately displaced by oxygen.

Fifth, the state must strengthen its emergency medical response. Hospitals serving the affected communities should be equipped and prepared to receive multiple patients simultaneously. Health authorities should maintain clear referral arrangements, provide appropriate respiratory and emergency care, and conduct medically indicated follow-up examinations of exposed students and staff.

A confidential health registry should document reported exposures, symptoms, treatment and subsequent outcomes, with appropriate consent and privacy safeguards. This would help public-health specialists identify patterns and investigate potential longer-term effects without prematurely attributing every illness to a single cause.

Sixth, government should establish a clear emergency protocol for schools. Teachers, principals, non-teaching staff and community responders need training on recognising warning signs, evacuating students safely, contacting emergency services and preventing people from re-entering an affected building prematurely.

The public must also receive accurate guidance. Residents should not approach suspected gas-release points, attempt to identify the substance by smell or enter affected spaces to rescue belongings without appropriate emergency assistance. Ordinary face masks and wet cloths cannot be relied upon to protect people from dangerous gas exposure.

The next government announcement should therefore be more than a statement that students have been treated and discharged. It should provide a clear account of the investigation, the safety measures in place, the conditions for reopening affected schools and the timetable for a permanent solution.