Whitney Adeniran: Lagos govt to charge Chrisland school, staff for manslaughter

The Lagos State government has finally concluded plans to charge Chrisland School, some staff members and a vendor to court over the death of a student, Whitney Adeniran.

They would be charged for manslaughter, negligence and recklessness.

Moyosore Onigbanjo, Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, through the Office of the Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, in a statement on Friday, insisted that the suspects would be charged in line with Sections 224 and 251 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

According to Onigbanjo, “they will therefore be charged with the offences of Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless and Negligent Acts contrary to Sections 224 & 251 of the Criminal Law, Ch C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

“Information will be filed in accordance with the legal advice issued by the DPP.”

Adeniran was reported to have died at Agege Stadium on February 9 2023, during Chrisland’s inter-house sports competition.

The deceased’s father, Michael Adeyemi Adeniran, said her daughter had no health condition or sickness as of the time the school bus picked her up for the event.

However, an autopsy carried out by the Lagos government revealed that Adeniran died from Asphyxia and electrocution.

After the controversial circumstances surrounding Adeniran’s death, the Lagos government ordered a coroner’s inquest into the matter to ascertain the cause of the student’s death.

The Coroner, Magistrate Olabisi Fajana, later revealed that the coroner’s inquest to unravel the cause of death of Adeniran would start on April 4.