The Lagos State government charged Ademoye Adewale, Kuku Fatai, Belinda Amao, and Nwatu  Victoria with involuntary manslaughter and reckless negligent acts.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Justice Oyindamola Ogala admitted the defendants bail, after defence counsel moved the motion for bail dated  March 28 and March 29 respectively.

There was no objections from the  prosecution, led by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN.

Ogala admitted the first and second defendants to N10 million bail each  with two sureties each in like sum

She also admitted the third and the fourth defendants to N20 million bail each with two sureties each in like sum.

The judge said all the sureties must be gainfully employed, have credible  and verified evidence of financial status and reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

“All the sureties must have two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government and must submit their international passports with the Chief registrar of the state high court,” Ogala said.

The court, however ordered the defence counsel to write an undertaking in order for the defendants to be released to them before the perfection of their bail.

The defence counsel were Mrs Bimpe Ajegbomojon (first defendant),  Richard Ahonarougho (SAN) second defendant), Olukayode Enitan, SAN, ( third defendant),  Ademola Animashaun (fourth defendant)  and Mr Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, (fifth defendant) while Mrs Oluwatodimu Ige held brief for the family of the deceased.

The five defence counsel urged the court to grant bail to the defendants on self recognisance.

According to the charge information signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, Dr  Babajide Martins, on March 24, the defendants allegedly committed the offence on  February 9, at about 1. 00 p.m. in Agege Sports Stadium, Agege, Lagos.

The prosecution said that the defendants negligently killed Adeniran by not ensuring her safety.

The state also submitted that the defendants acted in a reckless and negligent manner that endangered human life.

Onigbanjo, while arraigning the defendants, informed the court that the state would be presenting 17 witnesses against the defendants.

“We shall be praying for a date to open trial,” he said.

According to the prosecution, the alleged offence contravened Sections 224 and 251 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Ogala subsequently adjourned the case until May 25 for the commencement of trial.

Source: NAN

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Adeniran slumped on February 9 during the school’s Inter-house Sports at Agege Sports Stadium and was subsequently rushed to Agege Central Hospital, Agege, Lagos where she was confirmed “brought in dead” (BID) by the doctor on duty.

Ademoye Adewale, Kuku Fatai, Belinda Amao, Nwatu Victoria were charged with manslaughter and negligent acts during the arraignment.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to them.

They were arraigned before Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Ikeja High Court.

Indication that they were going to be arraigned soon emerged last week when Lagos State Ministry of Justice made the announcement on its website.

A prima facie case of involuntary manslaughter and reckless and negligent acts was said to have been established against the school, some members of staff and one of the vendors, hence they would be so charged.

The statement reads:

“On the 9th of February 2023, Whitney Omodesola Adeniran a Student of Chrisland High School, Ikeja aged 12 years, slumped during the Inter-house Sports organized by the School at the Agege Sports Stadium and was subsequently rushed to Agege Central Hospital, Agege, Lagos where she was confirmed “brought in dead” (BID) by the doctor on duty.

“The case was referred to the Nigerian Police Force which carried out thorough investigation with the help of other agencies.

“The file was subsequently forwarded to the DPP’s Office on Monday 20th March, 2023 for review of the duplicate case file. On the 23rd of March, 2023, the DPP issued his Legal Advice and came to the conclusion that a prima facie case of Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless and Negligent Acts had been established against the School, some members of Staff and one of the Vendors. They will therefore be charged with the offences of Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless and Negligent Acts contrary to Sections 224 & 251of the Criminal Law, Ch C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

“Information will be filed in accordance with the legal advice issued by the DPP. Certified True Copies of the Legal advice is available on the Ministry of Justice website (www.lagosstatemoj.org.).”

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The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, made this known in a statement on Monday, signed by Mr Ganiu Lawal, Assistant Director, Public Affairs of the ministry.

Recall that the Lagos State Ministry of Education, on February 12, ordered the temporary closure of Chrisland School, Opebi-Ikeja, following the death of a student of the school, Whitney Adeniran, on February 9.

Adeniran died during the school’s annual inter-house sports at Agege Stadium, Lagos.

The closure order, according to the ministry, affected only Chrisland High School, Ikeja, and not all the schools operated by the owners, pending the outcome of a full investigation into the unfortunate incident.

Adefisayo, in an update on the matter on Monday, explained the reason for the new decision to grant permission to some students to access the school in Ikeja.

“The temporary permission to allow the terminal classes comprising JSS3 and SS3 students access to the school is to enable them participate in their terminal examinations,” the commissioner is quoted as saying.

She, however, hinted that the school would remain closed until all necessary judicial processes superintended over by the State’s Ministry of Justice and other ongoing administrative inquests within the purview of the Office of Education Quality Assurance and other agencies were completed.

The commissioner said that the ministry, with support of the Lagos State Joint Task Force in charge of the implementation of the child protection policy and safeguarding, would continue to engage with Whitney Adeniran’s family on the case.

According to her, the group was made up of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, such as the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Office of Education Quality Assurance and others.

Adefisayo also disclosed in the statement that arrangements were ongoing for other categories of students to return to school.

Recall that the Office of the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice had said that a post mortem report issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, in respect of Whitney’s death, revealed the cause to be Asphyxia and electrocution.

The state ministry of justice has indicated its intention to charge the school, some members of staff and one of the vendors with negligence, among others, over the incident, following legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

Source: NAN

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It stated that the continued closure of the school after the death of the 12-year-old student, Whitney Adeniran, was to further investigate alleged endangerment of students and others.

“The closure of the school paved the way for unhindered investigation and afforded all stakeholders, including parents, students, staff and friends of the deceased, time to grief,’’ Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, stated.

“In view of the circumstances surrounding the death of the child, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice ordered a coroner’s inquest into the matter to ascertain the cause.

“The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, conducted the autopsy on February 15.

“It was conducted by Prof. Sunday Soyemi, Consultant Pathologist, LASUTH, in the presence of Dr Samuel Keshinro, Consultant Pathologist, representing the deceased’s family and Dr Olugbenga Oyewole, Consultant Pathologist representing Chrisland Schools.

READ ALSO: Chrisland: Lagos orders inquest into Adeniran’s death

“The autopsy report, dated March 1, revealed the cause of death as asphyxia and electrocution.

“The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice consequently directed the Directorate of Public Prosecutions to issue a legal advice on the matter.

“Without prejudice to the criminal proceedings, the school will remain shut to further interrogate the endangerment of students and others,’’ the commissioner added.

She stated also that team from the Office of Education Quality Assurance also had a meeting with the management of the school to ascertain adherence to child safeguarding policies.

“The meeting examined the planning of the inter-house sports event and the aftermath of the unfortunate incident.

“It was discovered that there were lapses,’’ she said in the statement.

Adefisayo added that a government delegation visited to commiserate with the family of the deceased on March 2.

She reassured that anyone found culpable in the death of Whitney would be made to face the law.

The commissioner stated also that government agencies had started fact-finding visits also to Agege Stadium, Lagos, venue of the inter-house sports competition.

Source: NAN

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The Police Public Relations Officers, PPRO, in Lagos State, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this on Monday.

Hundeyin said the Pen Cinema police division in Agege was handling the preliminary investigation after the incident.

He said that the Homicide Section of the State Central Investigation Department, Panti, would take over the case on Monday for discreet investigation.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has ordered the closure of the school over the death of the student.

The Commissioner for Education in Lagos, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, in a statement said that the school was closed pending the ongoing probe.

“We also note the impact of this unfortunate event on family, friends, and acquaintance of Whitney and call for calm as we assure that no effort will be spared in investigating the incident,” she stated.

Whitney Adeniran, a student of Chrisland School, Opebi in Ikeja branch, reportedly died during a sporting event at Agege Stadium on Thursday.

The parents of the deceased have accused the school of negligence as they continued questioning what happened to their daughter.

The family alleged that the school made no provision for emergency response at the event, hence their daughter was allegedly not administered first aid at the scene of incident.

The mother of the girl emphatically said that her girl had no pre-existing heart condition despite the doctor’s allusion to a cardiac arrest.

Earlier, the management of Chrisland School, in a statement on the incident, claimed Whitney had reported “not-too-buoyant” health on January 20, contrary to claims by her parents.

The school said it opted to take her to a health centre, and not a hospital, based on proximity considerations.

Chrisland dismissed insinuations that there was foul play in the death case while citing that she slumped in public.

“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 to her,” the school claimed.

Source: NAN

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