No Plan To Relocate Ogun Communities Over Gas Emission — Commissioner

Ogun State commissioner for environment Hon. Ola Oresanya yesterday denied plans to relocate residents of communities affected by the recent poisonous gas emission across three Ijebu towns as being rumoured in some communities.

This is just as concerned parents and some other residents stated that such was practically impossible due to the size and population of the residents which they noted would be too large for such a hasty decision.

The commissioner who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend in Abeokuta, the state capital said the state government had no plan for such thing now, as the news about relocation was fake.

Oresanya in a message earlier forwarded to our correspondent explained that the outcome of investigations carried out so far by the technical teams invited by the state government through the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was currently not pointing in the direction of evacuating residents of the affected communities elsewhere.

The message read: “No plan for such a thing now.. the result of our investigation so far is not pointing in that direction. Please disregard the misinformation.”

Meanwhile, a community leader in Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun North local government area who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend on condition of anonymity also stated that the rumoured planned relocation could be a politically motivated plan to acquire land from unsuspecting landlords, which may later be shared among politicians for personal use.

“Here in Ijebu – Igbo, the affected school: Ijebu – Igbo Girls Grammar School (IGGS) alone is a larger community and when such an idea is being muted, where on earth will they keep land ownership of the neighbouring buildings? Why would the government not think of a more practicable solution rather than chasing us away from our properties?

“Some of us have been in this community for over 25-years without hearing about this foul gaseous odour until recently in April this year. If you now choose to relocate us, would you also relocate those residents at Ago-Iwoye? How about those affected at Our Lady Of Apostles Grammar School in Ijebu-Ode. Can they relocate everyone in the Ijebu-Ode township? To where?,” he queried.

LEADERSHIP Weekend recalled that some media platforms reported that the state government may evacuate affected communities in Ijebuland should the ongoing investigations establish that recurring gas emissions pose a risk of death or permanent damage to human health.

The fake news, attributed to the state Commissioner for Environment, Oresanya was said to have been part of the assurance made last Thursday while he allegedly spoke in an interview at a current affairs programme aired by one of the community FM Radio station following the latest incident that occured the previous day, Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

Oresanya was quoted to have said that the government could not rule out every possible health risk until investigations were completed and stressed that affected residents could be relocated if further findings established that the emissions posed a serious threat.

“All we can do, until we find out that this may kill or affect their health permanently, we may relocate them immediately “.

Oresanya allegedly said that preliminary geological findings indicated that parts of Ijebu-Ode were situated on shale formations capable of producing gas. However, he described the latest incident in Ago-Iwoye as particularly significant because the area has a different geological formation, warranting further investigation.

He allegedly warned that if the emissions were linked to tectonic activity, addressing the problem would require a more extensive intervention involving the federal government.

“If it’s tectonic, that’s a bigger issue. That is going to be something at the federal level that decisions have to be taken and it’s beyond us. And that means we have to do something to avoid any form of human catastrophe”.

But speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend on Friday, Oresanya, who debunked the rumour, however, urged members of the public to disregard the news, stressing that the present government has no plan for such relocation.