ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has ordered the immediate closure of Our Lady of Apostle Primary and Secondary Schools (OLAS) in the Ijebu Ode area of the state, following a gas leakage that left 30 students and two teachers hospitalised.
The governor also directed that a full investigation be carried out into the incident.
It was recalled that on Wednesday, a gaseous substance spread across the school premises shortly after the assembly session, making it difficult for several students and staff to breathe.
According to the Vice Principal, Mrs Adeola Borogun, as soon as the unusual chemical odour was noticed, many students began vomiting and fainting, prompting the school management to request ambulances from the State General Hospital, Ijebu Ode.
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The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Banjo Adeoye, stated that most of the affected individuals had stabilised, while the exact chemical responsible for the incident is yet to be identified.
Reacting to the development on Thursday, Governor Abiodun, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, directed security agencies in the state to immediately probe the cause of the incident.
He explained that the investigation would determine the root cause and provide recommendations to prevent a recurrence.
The governor also ordered the immediate establishment of a situation room at the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, to provide free medical treatment for other affected students and residents in surrounding areas such as Makalewo, Ogbogbo, Molipa, Igbegba, Ikoto, and Oke-Aje market.
Parts of the statement read: “Following the unfortunate release of gaseous chemical in Ijebu- Ode hours ago where thirty students and two teachers of our Lady of Apostle Primary and Secondary schools (OLAS) were affected through inhalation of the gas, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has ordered the security agencies in the state to immediately investigate the cause of the incident.
“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 government urged residents not to panic or perceive the incident as a security threat, assuring that safety officials and a team from the state environmental protection agency, OGEPA, have deployed gas analysers to trace the source of the leak.
Meanwhile, the commissioner, alongside the Ijebu-Ode Local Government chairman, Mr Dare Alebiosu, and permanent secretaries in the Ministries of Environment and Education, Dr Kafayat Lawal and Mrs Oluwatosin Oloko, visited the schools and the General Hospital where the victims were receiving treatment.