Uchechukwu Nnaike
The management of Chrisland Schools, Lagos has ruled out any foul play in the untimely death of one of its students, Whitney Adeniran, 12, who slumped during the school’s inter-house sports competition at Agege Stadium on Thursday February 9.
The management stated that the deceased slumped in public view and not under any hidden circumstances whatsoever.
“Our immediate response was to take advantage of proximity by identifying the nearest medical facility to take her to, where the doctor on duty administered oxygen and every aid possible on her,” it said.
The school explained that Whitney was one of its day students, who opted not to participate in the inter-house sports match past for reasons the school was not very sure about.
“However, on discretion, we respected her decision to err on the side of caution because on the 20th of January, it is in our records that she complained about a not too buoyant health and we immediately contacted her parents. Her father, Mr. Michael Adeniran came to the school to take her home. We emphasized to her parents to take a critical look at her.”
The school management added that even as her family made funeral plans for an immediate burial, “we differed politely and reiterated the need to establish a scientific verification of the underlying cause of death as mandatorily required in circumstances like this.
“We immediately notified regulatory stakeholders and agencies to allow for a comprehensive evaluation and assessment of the developments.”
In spite of the compelling imperatives to fill any information gaps in public space, the management said, “we stopped short of making any media sensation out of this because the diseased in question was a minor and is deserving of our unqualified respect. We also prioritized according respect to the privacy of the family and were with them consistently to mourn together.”
“As parents, We feel the deep pain of this loss and our thoughts are with the family and friends of this wonderful girl, the school said.
Meanwhile, parents of the deceased, Mr. Michael and Mrs. Blessing Adeniran accused the school of negligence, while seeking justice for their daughter.
The mother said she was at the venue before the sporting events began, but when she couldn’t find her child in any of the activities, she was told she slumped.
“The march past happened. When it started, the first, second and third houses marched but I didn’t see my child. She’s in the Green House.
“So I thought she’s among the queen’s entourage. But those ones and all others marched and I didn’t see her. I called the school driver to ask if she was among those he brought to the stadium. He said he did bring her.
“I crossed to the other side. I saw some students and asked. I told them I was looking for Whitney Adeniran. They told me a girl, Whitney, just fainted and is being taken to the hospital on the school bus.”
Blessing said she panicked and went after the bus, which was headed to a health centre close to the Agege Central Mosque.
She said her daughter was already dead when she caught up with the team that rushed her there.
She said the school made no provision for emergency response, hence didn’t administer first aid.
“No ambulance, doctors or medical personnel in a place where you have about 500 students and over 100 parents. I rushed in to meet Whitney’s corpse on her deathbed. This happened in less than 10 minutes,” the mother said.
“I saw the staffer who went with her. I asked the doctor what happened and she said it looks like a cardiac arrest. How does a 12-year-old have a cardiac arrest without any pre-existing medical condition?
“If she was sick with even so much as a headache, I wouldn’t have let her go for the sport. By the time I got there, my daughter’s lips and tongue had already turned black. I jacked her up onto my chest but got no response.”
“What happened to my daughter? This is my first child. I’ve never had one before. She was taken to an immunisation centre, not even a hospital. My pain was that there was no proper first aid.
“When she came in, they said she was dead on arrival. I’ve been asking Chrisland what happened. Nobody is telling me anything. They were at my house on Thursday. I don’t want to open up my child for autopsy,” the mother said.
The father also said his daughter had no health condition or sickness as at when the school bus picked her up for the event, saying that the school did not offer any explanation to him and his wife.
He stated that his wife was present at the stadium, but the school did not call her attention to the incident immediately.
He therefore called on the Lagos State government and the police to look into the matter and get justice for his slain child.
According to Adeniran, “to the biggest shock of my life by 1 pm, I got a call from my wife that she was informed that our daughter slumped at the inter-house sport and she was rushed to the clinic.
“My wife was at the venue even before the event started. She was never informed or called until they have conveyed our child out of the venue before they informed her. On arrival of my wife at the health centre where they took my daughter. my daughter was lying dead with her lips black and her tongue black.
“My wife called me urgently, I left my office to the place and found my 12-year-old daughter lying dead on the ground. I asked questions about what happened to my daughter and the school authority could not get me any information as to what happened to my child in their care.”
Adeniran added: “I gave Chrisland School a healthy vibrant young girl what Chrisland returned to me is a dead child. My entire family is in deep sorrow but the school authority claimed they know nothing about my daughter’s death and all they know is that my daughter slumped and died.”
Adeniran further said the school had no ambulance or paramedics at the event, except for a nurse he described as a “quack,” who later confessed that the child died at the stadium.
“My question is what happened to my daughter at Agege stadium? As a father, I demand answers from Chrisland International High School. I am in deep pain and sorrow right now. If you are a father you will understand my pain. My daughter is highly loved by us. We cherished her existence and we can never allow an institution to gloss over the death of our daughter.”
