Panic swept through Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu Ode on Wednesday after a gas leak left 30 students and one teacher struggling to breathe, with several collapsing before emergency responders arrived.
The incident occurred shortly after the school’s morning assembly, when a gaseous substance spread across the premises, causing students and staff to experience difficulty breathing. Sources said some students fainted on the spot, prompting urgent calls for help.
All affected individuals were rushed to the General Hospital in Ijebu Ode, where they are receiving treatment.
The Vice Principal of the Junior School, Mrs Adeola Borogun, dismissed early reports suggesting an explosion had occurred. Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday, she described the situation as a strange chemical smell that suddenly filled the air.
She said the odour triggered vomiting and fainting among students, forcing the school administration to request ambulances.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, also ruled out an explosion, stating that investigators were working to determine the exact source of the leak.
“Some say it was from the school laboratory, but some say it must have been from somewhere around the community,” Oresanya said. “We are bringing a gas analyser there now to analyse the type of gas and the concentration zone. So, that will give us the exact cause.”
He noted that there are no industrial facilities in the vicinity that could produce such pollution. “There is no industrial gas around, so we know it’s not industrial pollution. No, there is no explosion anywhere. It’s a gas leakage from somewhere. No explosion. Thirty students were brought to the hospital, but they are in stable condition now. They are very okay now.”
The Chief Medical Director of the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, Dr Banjo Adeoye, confirmed that 30 students and one teacher were brought to the facility. He said most of the affected persons were in stable condition, though the exact substance responsible had yet to be identified.
The Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, also confirmed the incident, stating that no lives were lost and that all affected students were responding well to treatment.
