Chrisland: Whitney died before she was taken to hospital, says father

The late Whitney Adeniran's father, Mr. Michael Adeniran, who attended Chrisland Schools Opebi, claimed in court on Monday that his daughter had passed away before being brought to the hospital.

Adeniran testified in court that the school nurse told him his daughter had passed away before she was even brought to the hospital.

He claimed the nurse had informed him that the deceased's eyes had dilated, but since she was not a medical professional, she was unable to confirm her death.

In relation to the passing of Whitney Adeniran, a student at Chrisland School Limited in Opebi, the Lagos State Government had charged the school's principal, vice principal, and two other individuals on March 31, 2023.
They were arraigned before Justice Oyindamola Ogala alongside the school.

Ademoye Adewale, a cotton candy vendor, Kuku Fatai, Principal Belinda Amao, and Victoria Nwatu are the defendants.

The state has preferred two counts of reckless and negligent acts against the defendants, as well as one count bordering on involuntary manslaughter, for trial.

According to reports, on February 9, 2023, the 12-year-old victim of electrocution died during inter-house sports at Agege Stadium.

Adeniran, the first prosecution witness, told the court this story under cross-examination by Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), the school's attorney, at the trial's resumed hearing on Monday.

When questioned about whether Whitney's illness kept her out of class on February 2, 2023.

In response, Adeniran said, "Yeah, she missed school, but she was not ill.”
The witness stated that the school had called his wife, the mother of the deceased, on January 20, 2023, to let her know that Whitney was not feeling well.

He said that after his daughter was brought to Inland Specialist Hospital in Ikeja, the doctor gave her a prescription for some medications and specified the dosage, but he was unsure of the exact names of the medications.

When asked if he was aware of the medications' names

He clarified that the doctor's report, which he received from the hospital on February 16, 2023, is where he learned the names of the medications.

Adeniran read the names of the medications—amitriptyline, 12.5 mg, and nitrazepam, 5 mg—from an exhibit that was presented to the court.
When asked if he had received word from Agege Central Hospital and Diagnostic Limited that the deceased had passed away from cardiac arrest, the witness said that he had.

He testified in court that he could not recall anyone telling him that she had received oxygen at the hospital.

The witness further admitted to the court that he was unable to recall whether the school nurse had discussed performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the deceased.

Before Whitney was taken out of the stadium, the nurse claimed that, despite her best efforts, Whitney had already passed away.

He recalled her saying, "She said her eyes had already dilated, but since she was not a doctor, she could not pronounce her dead."