The Ogun State Government has pledged to reimburse parents and guardians who paid for medical treatment at private hospitals after more than 100 pupils were affected by a gas-emission incident in Ijebuland.
Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, disclosed this on Thursday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, following the latest incident recorded on Wednesday, October 21.
Oresanya described the incident as a public health emergency and said the government would assume responsibility for medical expenses incurred by families as a result of the occurrence.
He explained that pupils treated at government hospitals received medical attention at the state’s expense, including oxygen administration, before they were discharged.
“So, all the students that were treated were on the bill of the government. All of them were taken to public hospitals. And all they did was to give them oxygen and they went home,” he said.
Parents who opted for private hospitals would also be reimbursed, provided they submit their medical bills through the designated channel.
“Those who went to private hospitals, fine. If you bring your bill, the government will pay,” the commissioner assured.
According to him, the affected local government has established a control room where parents can submit their bills for processing.
“The local government has opened a kind of control room. You take it there, the government will pay,” Oresanya said, stressing that the state would not leave families to bear the financial consequences of the environmental incident.
“The government will refund because public health in Nigeria is a government responsibility. We are not shying away from that reality,” he added.
Recurring gas incidents
Wednesday’s incident occurred across parts of Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye, with more than 100 pupils reportedly requiring medical attention after exposure to a strong chemical odour.
Some of those affected were said to have experienced breathing difficulties, drowsiness and fainting.
The incident is the latest in a series of gas-emission occurrences recorded in Ijebuland since April 2026.
On April 1, at least 30 students and a teacher were hospitalised after a similar incident at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode.
Government subsequently ordered the closure of the school and provided free medical treatment for those affected.
Another incident on May 15 reportedly affected more than 100 students and teachers in several schools, while 69 students were hospitalised following a third occurrence on June 3.
Although preliminary investigations detected methane around some of the affected locations, authorities have yet to establish the source of the recurring emissions.
Oresanya said the state government was working with researchers from Olabisi Onabanjo University and relevant federal technical agencies to determine the geological source of the gas.
He said the university’s Department of Health Sciences had been involved in the investigation, including aeromagnetic and ground magnetic surveys conducted around the affected areas.
“The Department of Health Sciences of Olabisi Onabanjo University have been at the forefront of this investigation. And so far, so good, from the investigation carried out by the university, we have shown that we did what we call the aeromagnetic investigation in that area, and the ground magnetic survey also,” he said.
According to the commissioner, investigators are now examining whether the gas is coming from a shallow underground reservoir or a deeper geological formation.
“They are already on top of the situation and they are carrying out the deep-rooted investigation. So, where is that gas? Is it coming from a shallow reservoir, or is it a deep-rooted reservoir?” he asked.
The government said investigations would continue while authorities provide updates and take steps to prevent further exposure of pupils and residents to the recurring emissions.
