Blessing Adeniran has told an Ikeja High Court that she did not ever mention that her daughter was electrocuted in any of the interviews she granted following the death of her daughter, Whitney Adeniran, who was a student of Chrisland School.
Blessing, on Thursday, in continuation of her cross-examination, told the court that she was not aware that her late daughter had earlier told a friend on February 2, 2024, over a social media chat that she had fainted in her sleep.
The Lagos State Government brought charges on March 31, 2023, against Chrisland School Ltd., Opebi, and its principal, vice principal and two others for the death of Whitney.
Whitney, aged 12-year-old, died of an alleged electrocution on February 9, 2023, during an Inter-house sports competition that was held at the Agege Stadium, Lagos State.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Oyindamola Ogala.
During the cross-examination by the counsel to Belinda Amao, the Chrisland school principal who is also the third defendant, Olukayode Enitan SAN informed the court that Whitney’s chat about fainting in her sleep happened on the same day as when the deceased experienced premenstrual pain in her back and waist and did not go to school as a result.
Enitan told the court, “From the evidence-in-chief of the witness, her daughter sent the chat on the same day that she had the pain in her back.”
Enitan reminded the witness that she got a message from Chrisland informing her that her daughter had difficulty breathing on January 20, 2023, which necessitated the deceased getting checked by a doctor at the Inland Specialist Hospital.
He asked the witness whether she knew anything about sudden cardiac death and that such a health risk could happen to a person who has a history of palpitation and shortness of breath, but the witness replied in the negative.
Enitan asked the witness, “Do you know the number of social media articles or interviews you granted ?” and “Do you know the first time you heard the word ‘electrocution’ in connection to your daughter?”
“I don’t know, I can’t remember. I never mentioned my daughter was electrocuted in any interview,” Blessing replied.
The counsel to Victoria Nwatu, the fourth defendant who is also the school nurse, Ademola Animasaun, asked the witness whether the school nurse was hostile or rude to her on the day of the incident of her daughter’s death.
Blessing said, “No, she was not hostile or rude to me.”
Further, Animasaun told the court that all his client, Nwatu, did was hop on the school bus carrying Whitney to the Agege Central Hospital and Diagnostic Ltd after the student slumped.
Animasaun said “Mrs Nwatu only spoke over the phone to help the witness locate the hospital. She did nothing wrong.”
The judge, Ogala, adjourned the matter to January 26 for the continuation of the cross-examination of the witness.
