The management of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, has initiated an investigation into the mysterious release of a harmful substance that resulted in the hospitalization of approximately 10 students on Tuesday.
In a statement to the press on Wednesday, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Soladoye Adewole, revealed that the incident occurred in a classroom near the campus’s sewage area. “There is nothing inherently hazardous about the area,” Adewole stated, adding that the situation might have been a deliberate act of sabotage, though the identities of those responsible remain unknown.
“This is a classroom unrelated to any chemical use, and the students are now stable and recovering,” he confirmed.
The Acting Registrar, Adewumi Ogunjimi, also confirmed that the school’s management had urgently contacted the state’s Commissioner for Health, requesting immediate medical assistance. The letter addressed to the Commissioner described the situation as follows:
“The institution hereby informs the Honourable Commissioner for Health of an emergency situation within the Middle Belt Campus. Several students in a lecture hall were found to have inhaled an unknown substance, causing them to become weak and disoriented.”
“The affected area was swiftly evacuated, and medical professionals from the institution’s health center have been attending to the students. We are calling on the Ministry to send a team for an on-site assessment and to take any necessary actions to resolve the situation,” the letter read.
Some of the affected students were transferred to the Ring Road State Hospital for further treatment.
The investigation continues as the institution seeks to determine the source and cause of the toxic release while ensuring the safety and well-being of its students.
