Relatives of Whitney Adeniran, a late 12-year-old student of Chrisland High School, Opebi, Lagos claim that the school did not obey the directive of the state government to shut down pending investigations.
While speaking with BBC Pidgin in a live feed monitored by BrandSpur Nigeria, Whitney Adeniran’s relative simply identified as Constance said the school was not fully shut down despite the directive given by the government.
She said parents were seen entering and exiting the school, adding that there was no signage there to indicate that the school had been closed down.
She said, “On reaching here, people are going in and coming out, there are workers and cars have been driving in and there is no signage whatsoever showing that this school is shut down. On the other part where they have primary section, parents have been bringing their children in and cars have been driving in and coming out.
“When I asked why is the school open, they told me that the primary school was opened, that the deceased was in the secondary school, and it is the secondary school that is not open.”
According to Constance, the primary and secondary arms of the school are owned and run by the same management, so both arms are supposed to be shut down.
She also said that the deceased did not slump and die as claimed by the school management.
“The child never slumped. You have seen somebody who has died. A child of that age cannot slump and die. A child of that age cannot have cardiac arrest and just one attack the child will pass away.
“Even if that is what they called it, that the child slumped and died, will the child’s tongue be out and black? Will the child’s lips be black? Will the entire skin of the body of the child be black? And why are they pressurizing us to bury the child?”
Recall the state education ministry had ordered the temporary closure of Chrisland School, Opebi-Ikeja, following the reported death of a student at the school.
A release signed by the state education commissioner, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo said the closure was ordered pending the outcome of a full investigation into the unfortunate incident.
Following the order, security officials have been deployed at the entrance of the school.
