Parents of a 12-year-old Chrisland School pupil, Whitney Odesola Adenira, who died during an Inter-House Sports competition last Thursday, have demanded investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
They also cried out for justice accusing the school of negligence, and cover-up.
Whitney, a year eight day pupil of the school was alleged to have fainted at the Agege Stadium venue of the competition and was rushed to Agege Central Hospital, where she was confirmed dead.
But another pupil of the school, in a viral audio, alleged that Odesola was electrocuted by a cotton candy machine at the stadium when she went to buy popcorn.
According to the unnamed pupil, Whitney’s hand was wet when she touched the machine, adding that she immediately fell on the ground, foam gushed out of her mouth while her veins vibrated violently.
Whitney’s father, Michael Adeniran, while narrating their ordeal, said the young girl had no health condition or heart related issues, adding that she was healthy when the school bus picked her up from home for the event.
He said: “To the biggest shock of my life by 1pm that fateful day 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 a health centre at Agege.
“My wife was at the venue of the inter-house sport. But she was never informed until they conveyed my child out of the venue before they informed her.
“When my wife told me, I rushed down to the health centre. Unfortunately I saw my daughter lying dead with her lips and her tongue black.
“When I got to the health centre my daughter was lying dead on the ground. When I asked what happened to her, the school authority could not give me useful information as to what happen to my child.
“I gave my daughter to Chrisland School healthy and vibrant but the school returned a dead child to me. My entire family is in deep sorrow now but the school authority claimed they know nothing about my daughter’s death and all they know was that my daughter slumped and died.
Unfortunately my daughter was conveyed to the health centre with the school bus, not a fully equipped ambulance, no safety corps at the venue. No paramedics except the school’s quack nurse who later confessed to me that my child died at the stadium but she could not pronounce her dead because she was not a doctor. “My question is, what happened to my daughter at the stadium?
“As a father, I demand answers from Chrisland 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. I am appealing to Nigerians to come to my aid. I don’t want my daughter to die in vain.”
Whitney’s mother, Mrs. Adeniran in a video posted on Instagram also accused the school of attempts to cover up what happened to her daughter.
She narrated how she was at the stadium and went round looking for her child only to hear from another student that Whitney fainted and water was poured on her body before the school bus took her away.
She also accused the school of making no emergency arrangements despite gathering over 500 children and more than 100 parents at the venue of the competition.
She lamented how her daughter was allegedly taken to the Agege Central Mosque but said the Principal claimed she was rushed to Agege Central Hospital.
Contacted for reaction on Chrisland’s official telephone number, a woman who received the call told reporters she was not in a position to speak.
“The phone number you are calling is for education enquiries. You may come to the school on Monday for confirmation,” said the woman who refused to identify herself.
Spokesman for the Lagos Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident, adding that investigations had commenced.
He said the police received a complaint from the deceased’s father and that all parties in the case would be invited for questioning.