The Lagos State Government has charged Chrisland School Limited and four others with involuntary manslaughter, reckless and negligent acts in connection with the death of Whitney Adeniran, a 12-year-old student.
They are all scheduled to appear in court on Thursday before Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Lagos High Court in Ikeja. The four others are school employees: Ademoye Adewale, Kuku Fatai, Belinda Amao, and Nwatu Victoria.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Babajide Martins, filed the charges on behalf of the state government. The DPP stated that on February 9, 2023, at approximately 1 p.m. at Agege Sports Stadium, they all negligently killed Whitney Adeniran by failing to ensure her safety.
The charge also revealed that they all acted recklessly and negligently, endangering human life.
The offenses are in violation of Sections 224 and 251 of the Criminal Law, C17, Vol.3, Lagos State Laws, 2015.
If found guilty, the penalties are life imprisonment and two years in prison, respectively.
According to a report obtained by Channels TV, the duplicate case file reveals that on February 9, 2023, Chrisland High School, Ikeja, organized an Inter-house Sport at the Agege Sports Stadium for its students, and during the program, one of the students – Whitney Adeniran, aged 12 years – was electrocuted.
A 9-page autopsy report conducted at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital confirms this.
(LASUTH), Ikeja identified asphyxia and electrocution as the causes of death.
Adeniran was said to have collapsed on February 9 at the Agege Sports Stadium during the school’s Inter-house Sports.
She was given first aid by the on-call nurse before being rushed to Agege Central Hospital in Agege, Lagos, where she was pronounced dead by the on-call doctor.
According to preliminary reports from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and statements obtained by the police from top officials of the school, despite the fact that the school has 556 students and expects about 1,000 people to attend the Inter-house Sports, 12 educators were assigned to approximately 90 students.
Each house will be monitored.
It was also gathered that the school management did not do its due diligence in securing a permit from the Lagos State Safety Commission to use the space secured at the stadium with that number of persons.
According to the DPP, this demonstrates unequivocally that the suspects owed the deceased a duty of care, that duty was breached, and that breach resulted in the deceased’s death.
While the DPP, Dr Babajide Martins, will lead the Lagos State Government’s legal team, the defence team will be led by four senior advocates of Nigeria: Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), Mr Yele Delano (SAN), Chief Richard Ahonaruogho (SAN), and Mr Olukayode Enitan (SAN).
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