Lagos, Nigeria – In a significant development, the Lagos State Government submitted three crucial documents as evidence on Thursday in the trial of four staff members from Chrisland Schools. The accused individuals, namely Ademoye Adewale, Kuku Fatai, Belinda Amao, and Victoria Nwatu, are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless negligent acts in connection with the untimely death of 12-year-old student Whitney Adeniran.
The trial is currently being held at the Ikeja High Court, where the defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges pressed against them. The unfortunate incident occurred on February 9 during the school’s inter-house sports event at Agege Stadium, where Whitney allegedly collapsed and subsequently passed away.
According to reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, presented the documents to the court. The evidence was introduced during the testimony of Whitney’s father, Mr. Adeyemi Adeniran, who appeared as a witness in the case.
Justice Oyindamola Ogala admitted the documents into evidence without any objection from the defense counsel. The submitted materials consist of a medical report from Agege Central Hospital, another medical report from Inland Hospital in Lagos, and a printed copy of conversations extracted from a Snapchat group called “Lagos Housewives.”
During his testimony, the grieving father, a businessman, informed the court that his daughter had left their home on February 9 in good health to participate in the inter-house sports event. He further revealed that his wife had been present at the event but had not been informed about their daughter’s hospitalization following the alleged incident.
Adeniran recounted the sequence of events, stating, “My wife called me and informed me that Whitney had collapsed and been rushed to a hospital. She said the school’s principal had told her that Whitney was already recovering before she left for the hospital. I instructed my wife to visit Whitney at the hospital and update me so I could join them. After ten minutes, she called back and said, ‘Start coming to Agege Central Hospital.'”
Expressing his urgency to reach the hospital, Adeniran explained that it took him approximately 45 minutes to locate the facility since it was not identifiable on Google Maps. When he arrived, he spotted his wife waiting by the roadside, signaling for him to stop. Leaving the car engine running, he exited the vehicle and intended to quickly transfer Whitney to their family hospital in Ogudu.
Adeniran described the heart-wrenching scene he encountered, stating, “My wife asked me to enter and pray for my daughter, hoping she would wake up. As I entered, I saw her lifeless body on a table in a small room.” Initially assuming his daughter was merely sleeping, he attempted to wake her up by lifting her and calling out to her. Regrettably, all efforts were in vain. The devastated father then sought assistance from the doctor present at the facility, pleading with her to do everything possible to revive Whitney. However, the doctor informed him that Whitney had arrived at the hospital already deceased.
He recalled the doctor’s words, “She told me that Whitney was brought in dead.” Distressed and desperate for answers, Adeniran questioned the nurse present, who revealed that Whitney had collapsed at the stadium and died before reaching the hospital. However, due to the nurse’s lack of medical expertise, she refrained from pronouncing Whitney dead.
Adeniran continued his testimony by describing an unsettling conversation he had with the doctor, who privately advised him against pursuing an autopsy. “She persuaded me not to waste time burying my daughter. The principal
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