Chrisland School: Whitney’s father, Adeniran testifies in court

 

LAGOS- Procedure continued at a Lagos High Court in the trial of Chrisland School for the death of twelve year old Whitney Adeniran, a student of the school at Agege Stadium, Lagos, with Micheal Adeniran testifying that his daughter allegedly died at the stadium before she was taken to the hospital.

Adeniran told the court today that he was informed by the school nurse that his daughter was already dead before she was taken to the hospital.

According to him, the nurse told him that the deceased eyes was already dilated, but she could not confirm her death because she was not a doctor.

The Lagos State Government had on March 31, 2023, arraigned Chrisland School Ltd., Opebi, and its principal, vice principal, and two others over the death of one of the school’s students, Whitney Adeniran.

They were arraigned alongside the school before Justice Oyindamola Ogala.

The defendants are Ademoye Adewale, (Cotton candy vendor), Kuku Fatai, Belinda Amao (Principal), and Victoria Nwatu.

The defendants are standing trial on two counts bordering on involuntary manslaughter as well as reckless and negligent acts preferred against them by the state.

The 12-year-old deceased, was allegedly electrocuted on Feb. 9, 2023, during the school’s inter-house sports activities held in Agege Stadium.

At the resumed hearing of the cross-examination, Adeniran who is the first prosecution witness, led by the school’s counsel, Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN).

When asked if Whitney was absent from school on Feb. 2, 2023, due to illness, Adeniran replied: “Yes, she was absent from school, but she was not ill.”

The witness said that on Jan. 20, 2023, the school had called his wife (the deceased’s mother), to inform her that Whitney was ill.

He said that his daughter was then taken to Inland Specialist Hospital where the doctor prescribed some drugs for her with the dosage written on the sachets but he didn’t know the name of the drugs.

He explained that he got to know the name of the drugs from the doctor’s report obtained from the hospital dated Feb. 16, 2023.

Adeniran mentioned the names of the drugs as nitrazepam 5mg and amitriptyline, which he read from an exhibit before the court.

Asked if he was informed by the Agege Central Hospital and Diagnostic Limited that the deceased died of cardiac arrest, the witness replied that he was informed that she died of cardiac arrest.

He told the court that he could not remember anybody informing him that oxygen was administered to her at the hospital.

The witness also told the court that he could not remember if the school nurse mentioned anything about administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the deceased.

“The Nurse said she tried all she could but that Whitney had already died before taking her out of the stadium.

“She said her eyes had already dilated, but that she could not pronounce her dead because she was not a doctor,” he said.

Recall that Adeniran had testified before the court on May 25, 2023.

Justice Oyindamola Ogala, then adjourned the matter until Jan 24 for continuation of cross-examination.