WHITNEY ADENIRAN’S DEATH: CHRISLAND SCHOOL’S SAFETY MEASURES QUESTIONED

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By Farouq Oduola A.

The Lagos State government ordered the closure of Chrisland High School Opebi on Sunday, February 12, as a result of the tragic death of Whitney Adeniran, 12, a student who died on Thursday during the school’s inter-house sports competition.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo, announced the shutdown of the school.

“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.

The tragic incident which had occurred at the Agege stadium during the school inter-house sports event on Thursday has generated mixed reactions from the public, with most of those reactions alleging the incident to the negligence of the school.

Whitney’s parents have also spoken out, with Whitney’s mother, Blessing Adediran, who was present at the stadium when the tragedy occurred – accusing Chrisland of negligence and also questioning the school’s narrative of what transpired.

Mr. Michael Adeniran in a post on social media alleged that the child left home hale and hearty when she was picked up from home by the school bus the fateful Thursday. He claims that no one offered any explanation to the family. Particularly, what remains a mystery to them was that his wife was present at the stadium, but the school did not call her attention to the incident as at when it happened.

He said; “To the biggest shock of my life, by 1 pm in the afternoon, 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 center where they took my daughter. My daughter was lying dead with her lips black and her.”

Few of the countless opinions expressed since the awful Thursday incident—including those of the parents, the government, the school, and the never-ending theories and propaganda spreading on social media—have offered a step in the right direction.

Prevention, they say, is always better than cure.

A statement from the school in contrary to the event, stated that the 12-year-old deceased “slumped in public view and not under any hidden circumstances.”

While the school is currently working extremely hard to save face, which is extremely tough at this stage. Taking all the necessary precautions prior to the event would have saved all the parties involved all the troubles.

Mrs Adediran had claimed that the school made no provision for emergency response at the sports venue and failed to administer first aid, adding that her daughter had no pre-existing heart condition despite the doctor’s allusion to a cardiac arrest.

The inter-house competition should not take place without the required safety precautions in place as it is anticipated that a big number of people will attend (at least 500 students, several parents and guest).

So, the crucial question is: Were there any safety precautions in place to guarantee the safety of the attendees?

Was there an ambulance available for use in case of an emergency or were there any medical team on standby?

The most recent information on the incident is an audio account of what transpired by a Chrisland student who saw Whitney slump. She claimed that Whitney was electrocuted after touching a popcorn machine with a wet hand while attempting to buy popcorn. They attempted to revive her after she collapsed before finally taking her away in a school bus.

The school’s whole line of defense has been rendered useless by this new development. There was clearly little to no safety precaution taken.

However, the Chrisland Inter-house Sport’s organisers, according to sources at the Lagos State Safety Commission, did not get a safety permit.

A safety permit is a precaution for major events that the Lagos State Government introduced to ensure strict adherence to Occupational Safety and Health standards in the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The source added that any safety inspector present at the event would have checked for and eliminated any possible dangers.

Such incidents necessitate the school collaborating with a local hospital nearby in case of emergency.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of safety, and given the school’s prominence, it was difficult to ignore their negligence which cost a life.

This is not the first time Chrisland will be involved in a controversy about the monitoring and safety of students under their custody. The Lagos State government temporarily closed the school in April 2022 as a result of allegations of sexual violation of a minor during an international trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

A court also found Adegboyega Adenekan, a teacher at the school, guilty of raping a two-year-old student in 2018. Adenekan received a 60-year prison sentence.

I don’t know what would be a stronger incentive for Lagos schools to increase their level of student oversight than the untimely death of a child.

With Sylvester Oromini of Dowen College dying in December 2021 as a result of the school’s negligence, there have now been two deaths of 12-year-old teenagers in Lagos in the space of 14 months.

Sylvester Oromoni Jr. passed away after suffering injuries as a result of alleged bullying by five college seniors.

Government educational authorities at all levels need to step up their game and implement policies and procedures to stop these types of situations.