A prosecution witness, Yakubu Abisogun, yesterday, told a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja that Chrisland School Opebi allegedly failed to comply with safety guides and child protection policies of the state on the day one of its students, Whitney Adeniran, died.
The witness, the deputy director of Social Welfare in the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, also told the trial judge, Justice Oyindamola Ogala, that the ministry made the finding after investigating the tragic incident.
Abisogun, the third witness called by the prosecution, testified that the ministry’s investigation revealed that the school was ill-prepared to handle emergencies during the inter-house sports event.
He also stated that the investigation revealed that the school had only one nurse, and no ambulance was available to transport any student to the hospital in case of an emergency or casualties.
The state government had dragged Chrisland School Limited and its principal, vice principal and two employees before the court on a two-count charge of Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless and Negligent Acts contrary to Sections 224 & 251 of the Criminal Law, C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Those arraigned before the court are Ademoye Adewale, Kuku Fatai, Mrs Belinda Amao, Nwatu Ugochi Victoria, and Chrisland School Limited.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants, on February 9, 2023, at about 1 pm, at the Agege Sports Stadium, Agege, Lagos, in the Ikeja Judicial Division, killed one Adeniran Omodesola Whitney by acting recklessly and negligently that, endangered the deceased life.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Justice Ogala adjourned the case till March 13, 2024, for continuation of trial.
