No supernatural forces behind Ijebu-Ode gas emissions, Ogun declares

By Adejoke Adeleye

The Ogun State Government has attributed the recurring gas emissions in Ijebu-Ode and its surrounding communities to natural underground geological activity, dismissing claims linking the phenomenon to traditional myths or supernatural beliefs.

The clarification was made by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, during a state government-organised town hall meeting with stakeholders on the gas emissions at the Bisi Rodipe Hall, GRA, Ijebu-Ode.

According to Oresanya, scientific investigations have shown that the gases being emitted in parts of Ijebu-Ode and its environs are primarily methane and sulphide, originating from underground geological fractures associated with a long-established fault line.

“There is what we call the Ifewara-Zungeru Trans-Atlantic Line that cuts across Mojoda, Ijebu-Ode, into Osun State through Zungeru in Niger State.

“That fault line has been there from time immemorial and it has been found out that that is the line that connects to the areas where the gas emissions occurred.

“Coincidentally, all the affected schools are located in that area,” he said.

Oresanya explained that the affected parts of Ijebu-Ode were historically forested and largely uninhabited for many years.

“In fact, that area of Ijebu-Ode town was going to be a forest and was mainly deserted and not a place where people had been living for decades.

“However, historical background showed that most of the schools affected are missionary schools built on lands probably given by the leaders of the town because most of the areas were deserted by town people,” he added.

The commissioner disclosed that the state government is conducting further scientific analysis to determine whether the methane and sulphide emissions are thermogenic or methanogenic in origin. He said the investigation would also establish whether Ijebu-Ode sits on a significant natural gas reserve that is gradually being released through underground pressure.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, urged residents of Ijebu-Ode and neighbouring communities not to panic but to comply with public health advisories whenever gas emissions occur.

She advised residents to cover their noses with a wet handkerchief instead of using face masks, warning that face masks could be dangerous under such conditions.

Coker also encouraged residents to contact the state’s Health Emergency Line (08112000033) whenever they observe gas emissions or require medical attention.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Abayomi Arigbadu, assured parents that schools recently closed as a precautionary measure would be reopened after consultations with principals of the affected schools and Zonal Education Officers.

He appealed to parents to allow the government adequate time to complete the necessary safety assessments and administrative processes before resuming academic activities.

Providing further scientific insight, Professor Philip Ikhane, Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at Olabisi Onabanjo University and leader of the investigation team, appealed to residents to remain calm, assuring them that experts and the state government were working diligently to determine the exact cause of the gas emissions.

He advised residents to minimise activities capable of aggravating the underground fault lines, including indiscriminate borehole drilling and quarry blasting, warning that such activities could increase geological instability and pose greater risks to surrounding communities.

Stakeholders at the meeting, including Messrs Adegbenro Adetayo, Olawale Kukoyi, Monday Ajayi, and Mrs Morayo Adebanjo, commended the Ogun State Government for its swift response and ongoing investigations.

They also urged residents and school authorities to remain vigilant and make use of the state’s emergency health helpline whenever necessary as investigations continue.