Kemisola Oye
THE father of late Whitney Adeniran, a student of the Chrisland Schools, Opebi, Mr Micheal Adeniran earlier today narrated to a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja how his daughter allegedly died before she was taken to the hospital.
Mr Adeniran told the court during the ongoing trial of some staff members of Chrisland School before Justice Oyndamola Ogala that he was informed by the school nurse that his daughter was already dead before she was taken to the hospital.
The state government had charged Chrisland School Limited, Opebi, and its Principal, Belinda Amao, Vice-Principal, Victoria Nwatu, the Cotton Candy vendor, Ademoye Adewale and Kuku Fatai over the death of the student of the school, Whitney Adeniran.
They were arraigned on 31 March 2023 on two counts charge and they all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Their alleged offences brought against them by the state government borders on involuntary manslaughter as well as reckless and negligent acts
The 12-year-old student reportedly died on 9 February 2023 during the school’s inter-house sports activities held at Agege Stadium.
However, when the case was called for hearing, the first prosecution witness, the deceased father, Mr Adeniran was cross-examined by the school’s counsel, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN).
The witness told the court that the nurse had told him that the deceased eyes had dilated but she could not confirm her death because she was not a doctor.
When asked if Miss Whitney was absent from school on 2 February 2023, due to illness, Mr Adeniran replied, ‘Yes’. He said she was absent from school, but she was not ill.
He confirmed that on 20 January 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 at Ikeja and the doctor prescribed some drugs for her to be taken and the dosage but that he didn’t know the name of the drugs.
He further explained that he got to know the name of the drugs from the doctor’s report obtained from the hospital issued on 16 February 2023.
Mr Adeniran said the names of the drugs as Nitrazepam 5mg and Amitriptyline, 12.5mg which he read from an exhibit before the court.
When he was 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 explained to 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 applying cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the deceased.
“The nurse said she tried all she could but that Miss 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.
After listening to his testimony the judge adjourned further hearing to 24 January, 2024.
Eighteen-Eleven Media