The Ogun State Government has confirmed that all victims affected by the recent gas leak incident in Ijebu-Ode have been treated and discharged from hospital.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, disclosed this during a meeting with parents, guardians, and residents at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School on Saturday.
According to her, those admitted at the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, and other medical facilities after inhaling methane gas have fully recovered.
Coker announced that the government would deploy ambulance teams across wards in Ijebu-Ode to ensure quicker emergency response during similar incidents. Each ambulance, she said, would be equipped with a driver and paramedic.
She explained that methane is not toxic but can reduce oxygen supply in the body, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, breathing difficulties, and rapid heartbeat.
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In severe cases, exposure could result in unconsciousness or convulsions, although no severe cases were recorded during the latest incident.
The commissioner urged residents not to panic and encouraged them to report suspicious smells or unusual environmental changes through the ministry’s emergency response lines.
She added that surveillance nurses, rapid response teams, and environmental health officials had already been deployed to affected communities.
Coker further revealed that teachers from both public and private schools, alongside interested parents, would be trained as community first responders to improve emergency preparedness.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said gas analysers had been installed around affected schools to monitor air quality.
He noted that experts from Olabisi Onabanjo University were collaborating with the government to analyse environmental data collected from the devices.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abayomi Arigbabu, appealed to teachers and school administrators to remain calm and help reassure students and parents.
He warned against spreading false information capable of causing panic.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, also disclosed that security operatives, including the School Protection Squad and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, had been deployed to schools and nearby communities.
He added that drones were being used to monitor affected areas.
The latest incident reportedly affected more than 100 students and teachers in schools around Ijebu-Ode, including Anglican Girls’ Grammar School and Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School.
This marks the second reported gas leak incident in the area within two months. During the first occurrence last month, about 30 students and a teacher were hospitalised after exposure to suspected methane emissions shortly after school resumed for the day.
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