A coroner inquest at the Ikeja Magistrate’s Court in Lagos has fixed April 4 for hearing to begin in ascertaining the cause of death of a 12-year-old Chrisland High School pupil, Whitney Adeniran.
Whitney died on February 9 at the school’s inter-house sports competition at Agege Stadium.
Magistrate Olabisi Fajana fixed the date after entertaining submissions of all counsels who appeared before the court on Monday.
Counsel to the bereaved family Femi Falana informed the court that they were unable to file a witness statement as instructed by the court at the last adjourned date.
Falana told the court that the Magistrate Registry refused to process the enrolling of the witness statement on the grounds that there is no provision for filling of coroner processes.
Counsel for Chrisland High School Olukayode Enitan and the state counsel, Akin George, also corroborated the position of Falana, seeking the court’s directives as to how to get their processes filed.
Fajana informed the counsels that she would get directives from the chief magistrate on how to ensure that the processes were filed before the coroner.
Enitan informed the court that he has an application before it, seeking to get samples and materials to carry out an independent evaluation of the autopsy report.
In a counter-reaction, Falana said that they have not been served, adding that the autopsy of the deceased was done in the presence of the school representatives and other concerned parties.
However, George told the court that what the state received was a letter not an application, and the state would respond at the appropriate time.
Fajana, thereafter, adjourned the commencement of trial until April 4.
