Ogun Govt links Ijebu-Ode gas emissions to underground fault lines

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Gov Dapo Abiodun

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The Ogun government has dismissed traditional explanations surrounding recurring gas emissions in Ijebu-Ode communities.

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It described the incidents as natural underground geological events linked to fault lines.

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The Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, spoke during a town hall meeting in Ijebu-Ode on Sunday.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that students and teachers were hospitalised after suspected chemical odour exposure.

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The incidents occurred on three occasions this year across some schools in Ijebu-Ode.

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Oresanya said investigations revealed methane and sulphide gases were responsible for the emissions.

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He explained that the gases escaped through underground fractures along established fault lines. “The occurrence is not traditional mythology but a natural geological process,” Oresanya said.

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He identified the Ifewara-Zungeru trans-Atlantic fault line as a major factor behind the incidents.

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The commissioner said the fault line stretched from Mojoda through Ijebu-Ode to Osun. According to him, affected schools are located along the identified geological corridor.

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Oresanya said the area was historically forested and largely uninhabited before missionary settlements. He suggested that deserted lands were allocated to missionaries, leading to school establishments there.

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The commissioner said further laboratory studies would determine the exact origin of the gases.

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He noted that researchers were examining whether the gases were thermogenic or methanogenic, adding that government was investigating possible natural gas deposits beneath the communities.

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Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, urged residents to remain calm.

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She advised residents to follow safety measures during periods of gas emissions. “Cover your nose with a wet handkerchief and avoid face masks,” Coker advised.

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She said masks could be unsafe during such incidents and recommended immediate precautions.

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Coker urged residents needing assistance to contact the emergency health line. The emergency number provided by the state government is 08112000033.

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The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbadu, addressed school closures, saying affected schools would reopen after consultations with relevant stakeholders.

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He appealed to parents to allow government complete necessary safety procedures.

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The procedures involve school principals and zonal education officers before reopening.

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Prof. Philip Ikhane of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun, urged residents to remain calm.

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Ikhane advised against activities that could worsen existing geological conditions. He specifically warned against excessive borehole drilling and quarry blasting.

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Stakeholders commended the government’s intervention and ongoing investigations into the incidents, urging residents to promptly use emergency channels during future occurrences.

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