The Ogun State Government has ordered the closure of Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu Ode and launched an investigation following a suspected gas leak that hospitalised about 30 students.
The incident occurred shortly after the school assembly on Wednesday, causing panic as a gaseous substance spread across the premises.
It was gathered that more than 30 persons, including students and staff members, reportedly struggled to breathe.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said Governor Dapo Abiodun had directed security agencies to determine the cause of the incident, noting that the outcome of the investigation would help prevent a recurrence.
The governor also ordered the immediate closure of the affected school.
“Governor Abiodun has also directed the immediate opening of a Situation Room at the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, which will offer free treatment to other students and residents of the impacted areas such as Makalewo, Ogbogbo, Molipa, Igbegba, Ikoto and Oke-Aje market,” the statement added.
Residents of areas including Makalewo, Ogbogbo, Molipa, Igbegba, Ikoto and Oke-Aje were advised not to panic, as the government said there was no confirmed security threat linked to the incident.
Oresanya said officials of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency had deployed gas analysers to determine the source and nature of the substance.
The statement noted that Oresanya, alongside other government officials, visited the school and the hospital where the victims were receiving treatment.
The commissioner added that most of the affected students and teachers were in stable condition.
PUNCH Metro gathered that while some insiders initially speculated that the incident may have been caused by a nearby gas explosion, others suggested it originated from a chemical odour in the school laboratory during a practical session.
The school’s Vice Principal (Junior School), Adeola Borogun, dismissed reports of an explosion, describing the incident as the presence of a strange chemical smell within the premises.
