The ongoing cross-examination of Mr. Yakubu Abisogun, a deputy director at the Lagos State Ministry of Youth & Social Development, resumed on Thursday before Justice Oyindamola Ogala at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja. This s part of the trial concerning the death of 12-year-old Whitney Adeniran from Chrisland School, Opebi, Lagos.
While being questioned by Mr. Ademola Animashaun, counsel to the 4th defendant, Mr. Abisogun acknowledged that Chrisland School, Opebi, routinely conducted staff training on the Lagos State Government’s safeguarding policy and noted his past role as a facilitator in one of these sessions.
Mr. Abisogun further stated he was unaware that Chrisland School had designated three child protection officers – Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Fajemirokun, and Mrs. Oladimeji – present at the Agege Stadium on the day Whitney passed away.
The school, along with its principal Belinda Amao, vice-principal Kuku Fatai, school nurse Victoria Nwatu, and a cotton candy vendor at the stadium, Ademoye Adewale, are being tried for Whitney’s death. They face a two-count charge of alleged involuntary manslaughter and conduct in a reckless and negligent manner endangering the student’s life, to which they have all pleaded not guilty.
During the trial on Thursday, Justice Ogala admitted treasury receipts into evidence, which showed payments made by Chrisland School for the use of Agege Stadium.
Mr. Yakubu Abisogun, testifying as the third prosecution witness, resumed his testimony from the previous court session. He acknowledged that his ministry, the Ministry of Youth & Social Development, bears the primary responsibility for school safety.
Additionally, while Mr. Abisogun was unsure if an emergency bus was specifically present on the day of the incident, he confirmed that the school did have a bus at the venue on that day.
“I am aware that the school had a nurse on the ground, but I don’t know if there were any first aiders on the ground on the day of the incident,” the witness testified.
“I am aware that the deceased was taken to a primary health center in Agege and that the stadium is far from the primary health center where she was taken to.”
“I don’t know the time it took the school emergency bus to get to the hospital,” he further said.
The defence counsel, however, countered this testimony when he brought out his phone to show the witness the GPS timing, which indicated that the driving distance between the stadium and the hospital is three minutes.
While answering questions about the meeting of February 14, 2023, the witness reiterated that it was fact-finding and that he wrote his report on the circumstances surrounding the student’s death based on the findings of that meeting.
He said, “I don’t know whether the autopsy report was out as of the time I did my report because I also recommended that the cause of death should be looked into.”
When asked if he knew that his report contained some inaccuracies, the witness replied in the negative.
“I was not aware that the school got to know about the death of the deceased after the event but I can confirm that the commissioner ordered the closure of the school after the incident,” he said.
“I can also confirm that the doctor at Agege Central Hospital, where the deceased was taken to is a qualified medical personnel, and the hospital is licensed.”
Justice Oyindamola Ogala has adjourned the case to June 3 for the continuation of cross-examination.