A Safety Officer with the Lagos State Safety Commission, Engineer Waheed Ariyo Wahab, on Wednesday, told Justice Oyindamola Ogala of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja that he did not interview any staff of the Agege Stadium during investigations into the incident that led to the death of Whitney Adeniran, a student of Chrisland School when the school held its inter-house sports competition at the stadium.
Wahab, a prosecution witness, stated this while being cross-examined by Barrister Ademola Animashaun, counsel to the fourth defendant, during the continuation of the ongoing trial of Chrisland School and its staff.
“We had pre-information that she died of electrocution. We heard the news but went there to know whether it was true. I didn’t have the information that the deceased was suspected to have died due to a health cause,” Wahab said.
He further told the court that he was unaware whether Agege Stadium had an emergency management system, emergency communication, a retainer hospital, or firefighting equipment in place at the stadium.
It will be recalled that on March 30, 2023, the state government arraigned Cotton Candy vendor Ademoye Adewale, the school’s instructor Kuku Fatai, the principal Belinda Amao, school nurse Victoria Nwatu, and Chrisland School Limited over the death of Whitney.
The defendants were charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and reckless and negligent acts, preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.
Further in his evidence, Wahab stated, “We did not take an electrical engineer with us. I am a mechanical engineer.”
Earlier, when Richard Aho (SAN), holding brief for the defence counsel to the fourth defendant, cross-examined Wahab, the witness claimed he did not know the defendant, nor did he know her name, but he stated that he had seen the defendant in the agency.
Justice Ogala adjourned the matter till January 29, 2025, for continuation.
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