The mother of Whitney Adeniran, a 12-year-old Chrisland student who died on February 9th, took the stand today at the Lagos High Court in Ikeja to speak about her daughter’s death.
The witness, Blessing Adeniran, told the court that she arrived at the Agege stadium on February 9th, 2023, when Chrisland School, Opebi was holding its inter-house sports competition, but she did not see her daughter, Whitney, participate in any of the previous matches or sports.
She stated she became concerned and began seeking for her, which led her to Agege Central Hospital, where she discovered her daughter’s lifeless body.
While answering questions under cross-examination, Blessing talked about another incident of Jan. 20, 2023, when her daughter was sick.
She said that the school principal had called her on the day to tell her that Whitney was ill and was having difficulty breathing.
“I called my husband to inform him because I was at the gym, he picked her up from school and took her to the Hospital and he said I should join them there,” she said.
“I went to the hospital and met Whitney and her dad playing a game with his phone and she seemed fine to me. I also said they like going to the hospital and we laughed.”
She said that when Whitney’s vitals were checked, the doctor told them that she was okay and asked if she had exams in school that would warrant mild anxiety but the Adenirans told the doctor that Whitney was preparing for inter-house sports.
Counsel to one of the defendants, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Richard Ahonaruogho asked about the drugs prescribed by the hospital for her daughter’s treatment.
Blessing Adeniran testified that she did not investigate the medication given by the hospital.
She also said that she was not aware that the combination of the drugs, Nitrazepam and Amitriptyline was toxic and she did not know the side effects of the drugs given to them by the Inland Specialist Hospital which treated her daughter.
At the previous proceedings of Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, her husband, Adeyemi Miachel Adeniran, who testified as the first prosecution witness had also told Justice Oyindamola Ogala that a medical report was issued by Inland Hospital after examining Whitney. The hospital had also recommended some medication for her.
He had also admitted to the court that even though he did not know the names of the drugs the family followed the dosage written by the hospital on the medicine itself and their daughter, Whitney used them according to the prescription.
He said he eventually got to know the names of the drugs after he collected the hospital report on Feb. 16, 2023, because Chrisland School had started to insinuate that his daughter was not well, even before her death on Feb. 9th, 2023.
At the proceedings on Wednesday, Blessing was asked if she was aware that the drugs were meant to treat panic disorder, severe anxiety and insomnia, the witness answered no.
When asked if she was told at the Agege Central Hospital and Diagnostic Limited, where her daughter was taken from the stadium, that Whitney suffered a cardiac arrest on the day of the incident, Feb. 9th, the witness answered yes.
Ahonaruogho asked if she was also told that there was possible electrocution, and she answered in the negative.
He told the witness that Nitrazepam was meant to treat panic disorder, severe anxiety and insomnia, while Amitriptyline is to treat depression and schizophrenia, and asked if she was aware of this, the witness said she did not know.
The counsel said that the combination of the drugs administered especially on a young person was a death sentence and asked if the witness was aware, she said: “I do not know.”
While answering questions from another counsel, Bimpe Ajegbomogun, who represented the first defendant, the witness narrated what happened in the morning of Feb. 9th before he daughter left for school.
She said she heard sounds from the kitchen and when she checked, it was her daughter making her breakfast.
Ajegbomogun asked if the sound she heard was scary but Blessing said it was not and clarified that cooking was a noisy activity with pots and spoons.
The counsel also asked if the witness was aware of the Snapchat group known as ‘Housewives of Lagos’ of which Whitney was a member and how she got to know about it.
The Witness said: “On Feb. 11, 2023, I had not slept since the incident of Feb. 9, so my husband asked me to get some sleep otherwise I might collapse, so I went to the bed and placed my phone and that of Whitney beside me.
“Whitney’s phone started buzzing with incoming messages and I called my husband to take the phone because I had a severe headache; the phone was locked so he asked who knew the password.
“My younger sister said she knew it and opened the phone, that was how he saw the messages where the members of the group were discussing how Whitney was electrocuted.”
Counsel to the third defendant, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olukayode Enitan on his part asked the court to grant a short adjournment for the continuation of cross-examination.
Justice Ogala agreed and adjourned the matter till tomorrow, Jan. 25, for the continuation of cross-examination.