The Ogun State Government has announced plans to reopen schools that were temporarily closed in parts of Ijebu-Ode following recurring gas emission incidents, saying the decision will come after safety assessments and consultations are concluded.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbadu, made the disclosure on Sunday during a government-organised town hall meeting on the gas emissions held at the Bisi Rodipe Hall in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Ijebu-Ode.
According to Arigbadu, the state had consulted principals of the affected schools and zonal education officers to ensure that students would only return to classrooms when it was considered safe.
The temporary closure of the schools followed reports that several students in Ijebu-Ode and neighbouring communities developed symptoms believed to be linked to the recurring gas emissions.
Some of the affected students reportedly complained of dizziness, breathing difficulties and general discomfort during or shortly after exposure to the gases, prompting school authorities to seek immediate medical attention for them.
The incidents, which initially sparked fear and widespread speculation among residents, led the state government to suspend academic activities in the affected institutions while experts launched investigations to determine the source of the emissions and assess any potential danger.
Addressing stakeholders at the meeting, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, said findings from scientific investigations indicated that the emissions consisted mainly of methane and sulphide gases released through underground geological fractures.
He dismissed claims attributing the phenomenon to traditional beliefs or myths, insisting that it was caused by natural geological processes.
“There is what we call the Ifewara-Zungeru trans-Atlantic line that cuts across Mojoda, Ijebu-Ode into Osun State through Zungeru in Niger State.
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That fault line has been there from time immemorial, and it has been found out that it connects to the areas where the gas emissions occurred. Coincidentally, all the affected schools are located in that area,” he said.
Oresanya explained that the affected parts of Ijebu-Ode were once densely forested and largely uninhabited, noting that many of the impacted schools were missionary institutions established in those locations years ago.
He added that further studies were underway to establish whether the methane and sulphide gases were thermogenic or methanogenic in origin, as well as determine if Ijebu-Ode is situated on commercially significant natural gas deposits.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, urged residents to remain calm and comply with health advisories issued by the government.
She advised members of the public to cover their noses with wet handkerchiefs instead of wearing face masks whenever gas emissions occur, warning that face masks could pose risks under such conditions.
Coker also encouraged residents to contact the state’s health emergency line whenever assistance was needed.
The Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Prof Philip Ikhane, who is leading the scientific investigation, appealed to residents to remain patient while experts continued their work.
Ikhane also cautioned against activities such as borehole drilling and quarry blasting, warning that they could worsen existing geological fault lines and heighten the associated risks.
Some stakeholders at the meeting, including Adegbenro Adetayo, Olawale Kukoyi, Monday Ajayi and Mrs Morayo Adebanjo, praised the Ogun State Government for its response to the situation and encouraged residents and schools to make use of the state’s health emergency helpline whenever necessary.