The Coroner Mrs O.O. Fajana, presiding over an inquest to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Miss Whitney Adeniran, a student of Chrisland Schools, Lagos, has warned against unnecessary questions by counsel, saying it will only delay conclusion of the inquest.
Fajana said on Tuesday that irrelevant questions by counsel in the case would delay conclusion of the inquest.
Miss Whitney Adeniran, a 12-year-old student died during the school’s inter-house sports on Feb. 9 at the Agege Stadium, Lagos.
Fajana had on Monday told parties in the suit to refrain from any actions that could prolong the inquest.
She added that any demonstrations sought by any counsel should be done by a doctor, not Mr Michael Adeniran, father of the deceased, currently being cross-examined.
“The witness is not a medical practitioner, a doctor will be in a better person to demonstrate using pictures of the deceased person,” she said.
Fajana reacted to a request by Mr Olukayode Enitan, one of the school’s counsel, seeking the picture of the student posted on social media by her father after her death.
Fajana said that the more relevant the questions, the faster the inquest would be.
She asked Lagos State counsel, Mr Akin George, to get a picture of the deceased student from the investigative police officer and tender it in evidence so that Enitan could request for it.
Fajana adjourned the matter until May 15.
In his submission, George said that the inquest was to know where, when and how Whitney died, as well as to know if anyone was responsible.
He said that he did not see how social media applied to knowing how the incident occured.
Meanwhile, during Michael’s continued cross-examination by Enitan, the counsel asked the witness if he was aware that one of the drugs (Netrazepam 5mg) prescribed to Whitney by a doctor from Inland Specialist Hospital, was used in treating epilepsy.
The witness responded that he was not aware.
Enitan said that the risk of death from using Netrazepam in children was 75 per cent.
The counsel, referring to paragraph 49 of the witness’s statement, asked Michael how he reached the conclusion that Whitney was not administered first aid before her death.
Enitan said that a qualified nurse attended to the student before she died.
However, Michael said that he would not believe it since the school nurse told him that she was not there when the incident occured but was called, and when she got there, she saw Whitney on the ground with no pulse.
Referring to the outfit Whitney wore on the fateful day, the counsel told the court that the deceased was wearing a green shirt and a short, representing green house, and had sneakers with a rubber sole.
He said that the sole would make electrocution difficult.
Responding, the witness said that when he saw the deceased at the Agege Central Hospital, she did not wear any shoes.
The counsel asked the witness if he took pictures of the deceased, and he said that the pictures he posted on his Instagram page was taken by the police.
Enitan further asked if the witness was active on social media, and he responded, “Yes”.
Mr Femi Falani, counsel to the Adeniran Family, said that he had no questions.
He submitted that Enitan was taking the witness to the medical terrain whereas medical practitioners would testify at the inquest.
