I never said my daughter was electrocuted — Whitney’s mother

Blessing Adeniran, the mother of the late Whitney Adeniran, told a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Thursday that she never mentioned that her daughter was electrocuted in any of the interviews she granted following the death of her daughter, who was a student of Chrisland School.

Blessing stated this during the continuation of her cross-examination, adding that she was also not aware that her late daughter had earlier told a friend on February 2, 2023, over a social media chat that she had fainted in her sleep.

Whitney, aged 12, died of an alleged electrocution on February 9, 2023, during an Inter-house sports competition held at the Agege Stadium, Lagos State.

The Lagos State Government had filed charges against Chrisland School Ltd., Opebi, and its principal, vice principal, and two others for the death of Whitney before Justice Oyindamola Ogala on March 31, 2023.

During the cross-examination by the counsel to Belinda Amao, the Chrisland school principal who is also the third defendant, Olukayode Enitan SAN informed the court that Whitney’s chat about fainting in her sleep happened on the same day the deceased experienced premenstrual pain in her back and waist and did not go to school as a result.

Enitan told the court, “From the evidence-in-chief of the witness, her daughter sent the chat on the same day that she had the pain in her back.”

Enitan reminded the witness that she got a message from Chrisland informing her that her daughter had difficulty breathing on January 20, 2023, which necessitated the deceased getting checked by a doctor at the Inland Specialist Hospital.

He asked the witness whether she knew anything about sudden cardiac death and that such a health risk could happen to a person who has a history of palpitation and shortness of breath, but the witness replied in the negative.

Enitan asked the witness, “Do you know the number of social media articles or interviews you granted?” and “Do you know the first time you heard the word ‘electrocution’ in connection to your daughter?”

“I don’t know; I can’t remember,” Blessing replied.

The counsel to Victoria Nwatu, the fourth defendant who is also the school nurse, Ademola Animasaun, asked the witness whether the school nurse was hostile or rude to her on the day of the incident of her daughter’s death.

Blessing said, “No, she was not hostile or rude to me.”

Further, Animasaun told the court that all his client, Nwatu, did was hop on the school bus carrying Whitney to the Agege Central Hospital and Diagnostic Ltd after the student slumped.

Animasaun said, “Mrs. Nwatu only spoke over the phone to help the witness locate the hospital. She did nothing wrong.”

The case continues today, Friday, January 26, for the continuation of the cross-examination of the witness.