Chrisland Counsel Tells Court Whitney Mother is Unconcern About Daughter’s Wellbeing

A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja heard testimony from the counsel for Chrisland School, Ajibola Ariba, that Blessing Adeniran was unconcerned about her late daughter’s drugs or the noises in the kitchen on the morning of her death.

Blessing is the mother of late Whitney Adeniran who died on February 9, 2023, at the Agege Stadium, Lagos State, after allegedly being electrocuted during a sports competition between the houses at Chrisland School, Opebi.

A negligence charge was brought against Chrisland School Ltd., Opebi, its principal, vice principal, and two other people for Whitney’s death on March 31, 2023.

As he continued cross-examining the second prosecution witness, Adeniran, the counsel called her attention to the evidence she gave during her cross-examination by Ademola Animasaun, counsel for the fourth defendant, Chrisland school nurse Victoria Nwatu.

In an earlier proceeding, Ariba informed the court the witness told the court she was not concerned about the nature of her late daughter’s medication prescribed by a doctor to treat an anxiety attack that Whitney suffered on January 20, 2023.

Ariba asked Adeniran, “Does Whitney get breakfast for school every day? ”; Whitney answered, “Sometimes.”
He asked the witness, “Why were you worried that morning, [about] the noise from the kitchen?”; to which she replied and said she was not worried.

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The counsel to the fifth defendant proceeded to ask the witness “So why were you concerned?”

Adeniran replied, “I wasn’t concerned.” I’m in the house and I heard a noise in the kitchen around 6:00 am. I couldn’t hear something, a sound in the kitchen, and pretend that I didn’t hear it.”

She said she did not get concerned with the noise as it is her house and she has grown kids.

Following the witness’ response of not being concerned about the noise, Ariba told the court that Adeniran had earlier said she was not concerned about the drugs.

He told the witness, “You had even given evidence before this court that you were not concerned about the drugs that were given to her.”

Adeniran quickly interjected the statement of counsel to the fifth defendant and said, “I did not say that.”

Further, Ariba presented the court with video footage showing the witness speaking with visitors, including actresses Yvonne Jegede and Bimbo Thomas, who came to condole with her after her daughter’s death.

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Adeniran confirmed to the court that she was the one captured in the video which had earlier been uploaded to the internet after it was played back to her.

Ariba presented Justice Oyindamola Ogala with the flash drive containing the video to be entered into evidence.

The judge entered the flash drive into evidence after the prosecution, led by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Babajide Martins, did not object to it.

He told the court that in the video, Adeniran was captured narrating to her guests who paid her a condolence visit an incident when her husband held her daughter and tried to pet her to sleep after she had woken up and prepared for school a long time before dawn.

The witness replied and said she could not remember.

Justice Ogala discharged the witness after Ariba was done with his cross-examination of the witness.

The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to March 11 for further hearing.