By Oluwatoyin Adegoke
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has ordered the immediate closure of Our Lady of Apostles Primary and Secondary Schools in Ijebu-Ode after a gas leak left 30 students and two teachers hospitalised.
The governor also directed a full-scale investigation into the incident, mandating security agencies to determine the cause of the leak.
Through the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, the governor approved the establishment of a situation room at the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, to provide free medical care for affected students and residents of nearby communities, including Makalewo, Ogbogbo, Molipa, Igbegba, Ikoto and Oke-Aje Market.
Governor Abiodun said findings from the investigation would inform measures to prevent a recurrence.
The government urged residents to remain calm and dismiss fears of any security threat linked to the gaseous release.
It added that safety officials, alongside a team from the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, OGEPA, have deployed gas analysers to trace the source of the emission.
The incident occurred shortly after morning assembly at the school, when an unidentified gaseous substance caused breathing difficulties, vomiting and fainting among students and staff.
Victims were rushed to the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, where authorities said most had stabilised, while the substance responsible had yet to be identified.
Edited by Maxwell Oyekunle
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