Following the catastrophic chemical emission on Friday, May 15, 2026, which left over 100 students and teachers from at least seven schools hospitalised in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Africa’s leading safety advocacy organisation, AfriSAFE, has issued an urgent, unreserved demand for immediate regulatory enforcement and criminal accountability.

In a statement yesterday, Chief Executive Officer of AfriSAFE, Femi Da-Silva, stated: “This marks the second time in less than two months that the children and residents of Ijebu-Ode have been subjected to a toxic atmosphere, following a similar chemical exposure incident just weeks ago in April.

“Preliminary environmental assessments registered an alarming methane concentration of 13,500 parts per million (ppm) near local school grounds.

“While the state government has noted that victims are recovering, our organisation warns against the dangerous complacency of celebrating ‘no lives lost’.

“This second systemic failure highlights a terrifying reality: the air pollution we can see and smell is only the tip of the iceberg.

“We must ask ourselves: if visible and pungent emissions are hospitalising hundreds of our children in broad daylight, how many invisible, odourless toxins are quietly creeping into the homes of everyday citizens?”

The advocacy group, therefore, demanded fiercer advocacy and ironclad enforcement, immediate factory shutdown, criminal liability for negligence, a “zero-tolerance”, protocol for industrial zoning, among others.

It also urged the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) to strictly enforce safety buffers between heavy manufacturing zones and educational or residential communities, saying: “We cannot wait for a mass-casualty event to take decisive action. The air our children breathe is non-negotiable. We call on the media to join us in demanding that the Ogun State Government treats this as a public safety emergency. Shut down the polluters, protect our communities, and let our people breathe.”