About 100 students of the College of Health Science and Technology, Ijero-Ekiti, were admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, following the fumigation of the school by a group suspected to be fire service officials.

The students, who were said to have fallen ill after inhaling chemicals from the fumigant, were taken to different hospitals in the state, including General Hospital, Ijero; Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti; and Afe Babalola Multi-System Hospital, Ado-Ekiti.

Speaking with FIJ on Thursday, Lawanson Adeniran, a youth leader in the state, said the purpose of the fumigation and the person that ordered it were yet unknown.

“Both the government and the student side would open investigation into the purpose of the fumigation, the person that ordered it and why the fumigation was done when students were on campus,” he said.

“As of 11pm yesterday, we were still calling for ambulance to convey students from the General Hospital in Ijero, which was already filled to capacity, to the Federal Teaching Hospital and ABUAD.”

Olanrewaju Olamide, Chairman of the Ekiti State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), said the fumigation of a school when students were present and writing exams was uncalled for.  

Olamide, who was part of the team evacuating the affected students, also described the incident as an attempted mass murder.  

“To me, beyond fumigation, it is an attempted murder of over 200 students. The chemical could have killed them. It was a very dangerous chemical,” he said.

“When they fumigated CID, they had to evacuate all the criminals and police officers, talk less of a school, one that deals with health for that matter. What are they teaching the students if the management could not be reasonable enough to handle such issues?”

Shortly before speaking with FIJ on Thursday, Olumide had, in a press release, demanded that Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State, visit the school to address students in order to restore peace.

He also asked the state government to take responsibility for the treatment of hospitalized students.

Dr. Mrs. Adebayo, Provost of the college, could not be reached for comments via phone call, as her phne was switched off. She has also not responded to an SMS sent to her phone.