A prosecution witness in the trial surrounding the tragic death of Whitney Adeniran, a student of Chrisland Schools, on Wednesday, revealed that no direct evidence linked the defendants to the electrical setup at the Agege Stadium, where the incident occurred.
The witness, Wahab Ariyo, an officer with the Lagos State Safety Commission, disclosed this during his cross-examination by Olukayode Enitan (SAN), counsel for the third defendant, at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.
The case, filed by the Lagos State Government (LASG), charged Chrisland Schools and several individuals with negligence over the death of the 12-year-old during an inter-house sports competition held on February 9, 2023.
Ariyo stated that his findings were based on an inspection of the Agege Stadium conducted after Whitney’s death.
He added that no one explicitly told him that Whitney had been electrocuted, and his conclusions were drawn from photographic evidence and interviews conducted during the investigation.
“Our investigation did not indicate that the third defendant was responsible for electricity at the stadium, and none of the defendants were found to be in charge of electricity at the stadium,” Ariyo testified.
While admitting that Chrisland Schools was not present during his inspection of the stadium, Ariyo asserted that infractions were observed.
However, he clarified that the Lagos State Safety Commission was not consulted for reassessment inspections of the stadium, reportedly conducted on January 13 and February 8, 2023.
Ariyo also admitted that he did not request Whitney’s medical report or visit her family to obtain her medical history during the investigation.
“I did not, before now, see the medical report issued by Inland Specialist Hospital on the late Whitney.
“The accident report was not presented to the Safety Commission before the final report was sent to the Ministry of Education,” he said.
The LASG had charged Chrisland Schools, its Principal (Belinda Amao), Vice Principal (Victoria Nwatu), a cotton candy vendor (Ademoye Adewale), and an electrician (Kuku Fatai) with negligence in March 2023.
Whitney Adeniran was reported to have died from electrocution during the school’s inter-house sports event at the Agege Stadium.
The trial has been marked by conflicting accounts of the cause of Whitney’s death, with her parents alleging electrocution and the school facing scrutiny over safety measures during the event.
Justice Oyindamola Ogala adjourned the trial until December 11, 2024, for continuation.
