Chrisland School’s Whitney wasn’t electrocuted, says witness

Ademoye Adewale, a cotton candy vendor contracted by Chrisland School to prepare snacks for its students during its infamous sports event, says Whitney Adeniran was not electrocuted.

The witness, at the coroner’s inquest on Monday, said the deceased 12-year-old was never electrocuted by his tools.

Whitney died on February 9 during Chrisland School Ikeja’s inter-house sports event at Agege Stadium in Lagos.

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

Consequently, the state ministry of education ordered a temporary closure of the school pending an investigation.

The state later revealed that a February 15 autopsy 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 stated that the school and four of its staffers were to be charged in court accordingly.

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

Adewale, during his cross-examination on Monday, told Oyenike Fajana, the coroner, that his machine meant for the snacks was not in use at the time the student slumped and died.

The vendor was to make snacks such as candy floss, popcorn, shawarma, and barbecue, among others for students.

In his response to questions by Femi Falana, the family’s counsel, Adewale said he had been a registered vendor at the Agege Stadium since 2013.

The witness said the school officials came to inspect the stadium prior to the inter-house sports event.

The vendor told the inquest that the machine he used was three years old and had a Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) certification.

Adewale also said the stadium was his source of electricity to power his machine.

He added that there was no naked wire around his machine and that the machine was unplugged at the time the student slumped and later died.

Falana asked if Adewale was an expert to conclude that the deceased was not electrocuted.

Adewale replied: “To my understanding and observation, the student did not die of electrocution because she was five centimeters away from where I mounted my machine. I believe the autopsy was erroneous.

“I went there and met a student on the ground and two minutes later, the school nurse came and the deceased was moved from there through a passage to the back of the stadium from the pitch.

“I left the place and went back to my stand and the next day I heard via social media that the student had died.”

Following Adewale’s cross-examination, Fajana asked why the investigating police officer of the case wasn’t in court.

A counsel to the state asked that the IPO should be summoned by the court on one of the adjourned dates.

The coroner, in the absence of any objection, adjourned the matter until May 22.

Earlier, the Ikeja magistrates court granted Chrisland High School permission to conduct an independent review of the autopsy on Adeniran.