The date for the coroner inquest into the death of a 12-year-old Chrisland School pupil, Whitney Omodesola Adeniran, has been announced.
The inquest will commence on 4 April.
The Coroner, Magistrate Olabisi Fajana, gave the date after entertaining submissions of all counsels who appeared before the Court, sitting in Ogba.
The counsel to the deceased family, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, had informed the court that they were unable to file a witness statement as instructed by the Court at the last adjourned date.
Mr. 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 filing of Coroner processes.
The Counsel, who appeared for Chrisland School, Mr Olukayode Enitan, SAN, and the State Counsel, Mr. Akin George, also corroborated the position of Mr. Femi Falana, seeking the court’s directives as to how to get their processes filed.
Magistrate Olabisi 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.
Subsequently, Mr. 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, Mr. Falana, who noted that they had not been served, told the court that the autopsy of the deceased was done in the presence of the school representatives and other concerned parties.
However, the state counsel, Akin George, told the court that what the state received is a letter not an application, and the state would respond at the appropriate time.
Magistrate Fajana, thereafter adjourned the commencement of trial till April 4, and advised all counsels to ensure that all their processes were filed and confirmed the day before.
The date was announced barely 24 hours after the management of Chrisland School apologised for its silence over the death of Whitney Adeniran, who died from asphyxia and electrocution.
The school management also refuted the claim making the rounds that Chrisland School intends to exhume the body of its late student.
The school management in a statement on Sunday said it is aware of the developments around the autopsy report on the unfortunate death of one of its students, Whitney Adeniran, and expressed its deepest regret to the school and the media for being silent out of shock and moral rectitude.
“We are deeply saddened and sorry about Whitney’s death. We are remorseful and sorry to Whitney’s parents. We are sorry to our parents and the entire community that hosts our school. We are also very sorry to the nation at large. It was a huge loss to the school.
“We express equal measure of apology to the Nigeria Media, another critical stakeholder, in case we have sent unbearably quiet signals. We have been quiet because this was death so shocking, we opted more for introspection and moral rectitude rather than strutting around the Media space to seize narratives.
“Moreso, we considered it imperative to allow the parents and indeed the entire Adeniran family the honour of their privacy as we all mourn this unfortunate loss. Whitney Adeniran was a bright and lovely student. She was popular and friendly. Her memory lives with us.
“We hereby vehemently refute the claim making the rounds that Chrisland School intends to exhume Whitney’s body. We have no such plan and assure the public that we are also parents in mourning and will not do or subscribe to anything that paints such insensitive optics that prevents our dear daughter from resting.
“We assure you all that no such thing will happen. Rather than do this, plans are underway to immortalize Whitney’s name so she can remain indelible in our consciousness. This is without prejudice to the ongoing Corona inquest but it is a honour we owe her,” the school said.
It added that while not pre-empting the investigation, the school wishes to state that the management understands and appreciates the outpouring of emotions from the unfortunate incident, adding that it had adopted the caution of quiet sobriety and has refrained from responding to every issue on social media because of its conviction that Whitney’s memory is better served with moral rectitude and a sober introspection.
“Responding to every sensation or misinformation peddled, therefore, does not serve this purpose and we, therefore, continue to uphold restraint. Unfortunately this quiet is coming with regrettable, misconstrued conclusions.
“Nonetheless, Chrisland Schools will continue to cooperate with the authorities throughout the duration of the investigations, and also offer the parents every necessary support in this grieving period.
“As an organisation, Chrisland School expresses its total trust in the investigation process, which was why the School authority insisted on the Corona Inquest in the first place, to help clear every doubt against insinuations of a cover-up and to provide us with learning curves to guard against future occurrences, not only to Chrisland students but also other young ones out there that may be recreating in public facilities.
“Notwithstanding the above, we shall continue to cooperate and submit to due diligence till the Corona inquest runs its full course which would accord our beloved Whitney, her family and indeed ourselves, a closure. We owe Whitney this dignity and our sincere and unreserved demonstration of respect.
“In the meantime, we have continued to engage the Adenirans. We are not relenting, because she is our daughter too and we shall always be there with the family to navigate this dark period. To all those who have stood truly by us and the Adenirans at this trying moment, we convey our sincere gratitude,” the school management added.