A deputy director at the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Yakubu Abisogun, on Monday, told an Ikeja High Court that Chrisland School in Ikeja failed to comply with the state’s safeguarding and child protection policy.
Mr Abisogun, a level 16 social wellbeing officer, said the ministry’s findings showed that the school’s preparedness for emergencies during the inter-house sport was close to none.
Lagos State Government on March 31, 2023, charged Chrisland School, its principal and vice principal and two others with the killing of Whitney Adeniran.
Ms Adeniran, a 12-year-old student, was allegedly electrocuted on February 9, 2023, during the school’s inter-house sports competition at the Agege Stadium in Lagos State.
Those charged alongside the school are Ademoye Adewale (a cotton candy vendor), Kuku Fatai, Belinda Amao (principal) and Victoria Nwatu.
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Abisogun said the school had just one nurse and there was no ambulance to convey any student to the hospital in case of an emergency.
The witness, who was led in evidence by the director of Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Babajide Martins, said the school did not have a designated child safeguarding protection policy personnel as required by the state’s Safeguarding Executive Order.
According to him, the policy demanded that there should be a retainer hospital close to the venue but in the case of Chrisland School, there was none.
“The designated safety protection child policy officer takes the lead responsibility in terms of risk and every other information surrounding the place of event of such magnitude but in case of Chrisland School, they did not have any,” he said.
Justice Oyindamola Ogala adjourned the case until March 13 for continuation of trial.
