The Coroner Inquest set-up to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of a 12-year-old Chrisland School pupil, Whitney Omodesola Adeniran, was on Monday informed that the school wishes to collect specific samples and materials so as to carry out an independent evaluation of the autopsy report on the deceased.
The inquest is before the Samuel Ilori Courthouse, Ogba, Lagos.
Counsel, Olukayode Enitan (SAN) who represents the school, also denied it was planning to exhume the body of the late Whitney, whose death as revealed by the autopsy, conducted by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital was due to asphyxia and electrocution.
She died on February 9 after attending her school’s inter-house sports event at the Agege stadium.
But, counsel for the bereaved family, Femi Falana, (SAN) told Magistrate Olabisi Fajana that the school hasn’t served them formally with their application. He also hinted that the autopsy was done in the presence of the School’s representatives and other concerned parties.
The Counsel for the Lagos state government, Akin George, also told the Court that what the state received from Chrisland schools on the issue is a letter and not an application, and that the state would respond at the appropriate time.
The magistrate then instructed Chrisland schools to file a proper application and serve all concerned, before adjourning to April 4, 2023.
Earlier in the day, Mr Falana, (SAN) informed the Court that they were unable to file statements of their witnesses, as instructed by the Court at the last adjourned date.
According to him, this was due to the refusal of the Magistrate court’s Registry to accept e-filing of the courts processes.
Mr Enitan, (SAN) and Mr George also corroborated the position of Mr. Falana, seeking the Court directives as to how to get their processes filed.
Magistrate Fajana responded that she would get directives from the Chief Magistrate on how to ensure that the processes were filed ahead of the next adjourned date.
