How strange odour shut schools, sent pupils to hospital in Ogun

Fear and confusion gripped Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, as a mysterious odor, later identified as methane emissions, caused students to collapse and be rushed to hospitals on several occasions. The incidents, occurring between April and June 2026, disrupted school activities and left parents in distress.

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I saw her around 12 noon where they had placed her. Foam was coming out of her mouth. There were too many people at the hospital and she had not even been attended to.

One parent, Mrs. Bukky Salami, described the harrowing experience of finding her daughter, Motunrayo, foaming at the mouth at the State General Hospital. The hospital was overwhelmed with sick students, prompting Mrs. Salami to transfer her daughter to a private facility for treatment. "I saw her around 12 noon where they had placed her. Foam was coming out of her mouth. There were too many people at the hospital and she had not even been attended to," she recounted.

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She is getting better now and resting at home. Many parents had to take their children to private hospitals because there were too many patients (at the general hospital). In the confusion, her school bag, books and shoes got lost.

Another parent, Mrs. Opeyemi Waheed, shared a similarly terrifying account of her daughter, Aisha, who collapsed after inhaling the odor at Anglican Girls Grammar School. After initial attempts to revive her at home failed, Aisha was rushed to the general hospital, where she was placed on oxygen and regained consciousness. The recurring nature of these incidents has left residents demanding accountability and answers from authorities about the cause of the methane emissions and the disruption to their lives.

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They brought her home, but it became worse when she arrived. We were advised to pour water on her. We did, but her condition became worse. Then, we were told to give her palm oil. We did that too, but after that, she collapsed.