Whitney Adediran: Chrisland Trained its Staff on Safeguarding Policy

A Deputy Director with the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mr Jubril Yakubu, told an Ikeja High Court that he was aware Chrisland School Opebi trained its staff on safeguarding policy in which he was once a facilitator during one of the trainings.

Yakubu also said he was not aware that three Child Protection Officers from Chrisland School were present at the inter-house sport in Agege Stadium on the day the 12-year-old student, Whitney Adediran died.

He informed the court presided by Oyindamola Ogala that he is also not aware that the trio of Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Fajemirokun, and Mrs. Oladimeji who were at the stadium on the inter-house sports day were present on February 14, because he did not check the attendee's list.

Chrisland School and four staffers including the principal, vice principal, and two others were allegedly by the the Lagos State Government of negligence over the death of a 12-year-old student, Whitney Adeniran during an Inter-house sports competition that was held at the Agege Stadium, Lagos State.

The defendants were charged before the court on March 30, 2023, and they had all pleaded not guilty.

At the resumed hearing and while being cross-examined by counsel to the 4th defendant, Mr Ademola Animashaun, the witness further confirmed that he is aware that Chrisland school has trained their staff on safeguarding policy and that he was once a facilitator during such training.

When asked if he agrees that the primary responsibility of school safety rests on his ministry, he answered in the affirmative.

Yakubu, who is the third prosecution witness also reaffirmed before the court that he is a Deputy Director with the Ministry of Youth and Social Development in Lagos State and noted that he did not know that the school had an emergency bus on the ground on the day of the incident but he is aware that they have a school bus at the venue.

“I am aware that the school had a nurse on the ground, but I don’t know if there were any first aiders on the ground on the day of the incident. “

When asked if he is aware that the deceased mother attended the inter-house sport, he said yes, but he does not know if she was taken to the hospital by the school.

“I am aware that the deceased was taken to the primary health center in Agege

 and that the stadium is far from the primary health center where she was taken to.

“I don’t know the time it took the school emergency bus to get to the hospital," he said .“

The Counsel, Barr. Animasaun brought out his phone to show the Lagos witness GPS timing, which showed the driving distance between the stadium to the hospital to be 3 minutes.

The witness also reaffirmed that the meeting of February 14, 2023, is fact-finding and that he wrote his report based on the findings at the meeting held on the cause of death.

“I don’t know whether the autopsy report was out as at the time I did my report whereby I also recommended that the cause of death should be looked into.”

When asked if he knows that his report contains the wrong account because he did not capture the account of the school on what transpired on February 9, 2023, he replied in the negative.

“I was not aware that the school got to know about the death of the deceased until after the event but I can confirm that the commissioner ordered the closure of the school after the incident.”

“I can also confirm that the doctor at Agege Central Hospital, where the deceased was taken is a qualified medical personnel, and that the hospital is licensed.”

Justice Oyindamola Ogala adjourned the case until June 3 for the continuation of cross-examination.