Chrisland: Whitney died before she was taken to hospital, dad tells court

Michael, the father to Whitney Adeniran, the late student of Chrisland School in Ikeja, on Monday, told a Lagos high court that his daughter was dead before she was taken to the hospital.

Whitney died on February 9, 2023, during the school’s inter-house sports event at Agege stadium in Lagos.

Blessing Adeniran, Whitney’s mother, had accused Chrisland of holding back information on the cause of her death.

The state ministry of education also revealed that an autopsy conducted on February 15, 2023, showed that Whitney died from asphyxia and electrocution.

The Lagos ministry of justice established a case of manslaughter and negligence against the school.

The ministry added that the school and four staffers would be charged in court accordingly.

While the school tendered a public apology on the matter, an inquest into the case began on April 4, 2023.

During the inquest, Ademoye Adewale, a cotton candy vendor contracted by the school to prepare snacks for its students during the sports event, claimed Whitney was not electrocuted.

Adewale told the coroner that his machine meant for the snacks was not in use at the time the student slumped and died.

The defendants, including Adewale, Kuku Fatai, Belinda Amao, the principal, and Victoria Nwatu, were arraigned before Oyindamola Ogala on Monday.

They are standing trial for involuntary manslaughter and reckless and negligent acts.

During the cross-examination at the Ikeja high court, Michael claimed his daughter died at the stadium where the inter-house sports were held.

According to NAN, he said the school’s nurse informed him that his 12-year-old daughter “was already dead at the stadium before she was taken to a hospital”.

He claimed the nurse told him that the daughter’s eyes were already dilated, but she could not pronounce her dead because she was not a doctor.

Adeniran, who stood as the first prosecution witness, said he could not remember if anyone informed him that oxygen was administered to his daughter at the hospital she was taken to.

Whitney’s father was led in evidence by Bolaji Ayorinde, the counsel to Chrisland Schools.

When asked if the student was absent from school on February 2, 2023, due to illness, Adeniran replied, “she was absent from school, but she was not ill”.

The witness said on January 20, 2023, the school called his wife to inform her that Whitney was ill.

He said his daughter was then taken to Inland Specialist Hospital, where a doctor prescribed drugs for her.

He testified that he got to know the name of the drugs — Nitrazepam and Amitriptyline — from the doctor’s report obtained from the hospital and dated February 16, 2023.

When asked if he was informed by the Agege Central Hospital and Diagnostic Ltd. that his daughter died of cardiac arrest, the witness gave an affirmative answer.

The witness, however, told the court that he could not remember if the school’s nurse mentioned anything about administering oxygen or cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the deceased.

Ogala adjourned the case till January 24 for further cross-examination of Adeniran.