Whitney: Coroner court fixes April 17 for parents to testify

Court refuses ex convict bail
Magistrate Olabisi Fajana has fixed April 17, 2023 for parents of the late Chrisland International School student, Whitney Adeniran to testify in the ongoing coroner inquest.

The Magistrate fixed the date, yesterday, after she delivered ruling on the application filed before the court by Chrisland International School Limited, seeking to carry out an independent evaluation (sample and material) of the autopsy report conducted by the Lagos State Government.

Adeniran, a 12-year-old student of Chrisland International School Limited, died on February 9, 2023, during the school’s inter-house sports at the Agege Sports Stadium.

The State Government had on February 13, ordered a coroner’s inquest to establish the cause of Whitney’s death.

The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) said thorough investigation would be carried out to ascertain the cause of death.

On March 2, the state government announced that Whitney died as a result of Asphyxia and electrocution as stated in the post mortem report received by the state.

The coroner inquest had since fixed April 4, 2023, to commence hearing before the Chrisland International School filed an application on April 3, seeking for an order of the court, granting leave to the applicant to be supplied with some items from the Chief Medical Examiner of the Lagos State University Hospital (LASUTH) or relevant officer, so as to enable the school consult with an independent pathologist.

The items asked for are: the paraffin block of the skin sample and slides from which the diagnosis of electrocution was made, samples of the urine, blood and other body fluid collected at autopsy, samples of bone and muscle taken from the deceased for purpose of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) independent analysis.

“All photographs taken during the conduct of the autopsy, copies of all histology slides reported as part of the post mortem examination.

“Copies of any other working sample and documents made in the course of the autopsy and result of all toxicology tests conducted.”

The state counsel, Mr. Akin George did not oppose the application.

However, at the resumed hearing of the inquest, Magistrate Fajana granted all the request of the applicant and ordered that the Chief Medical Examiner of LASUTH to supply all the listed items to the applicant’s pathologist laboratory on the day of the forensic consultation.

The court also ordered the deceased’s parents to testify on April 17, 2023.

MEANWHILE, Justice Ramon Oshodi of a Lagos Special Offences Court, yesterday, refused to re-admit an ex-convict, Kolawole Erinle to bail in an alleged $1.4 million Internet fraud.

The trial judge denied the defendant bail on the ground that he had a previous criminal record and that he might not surrender himself for trial if granted bail.

The judge subsequently adjourned to May 15, 2023, for the defendant to open his defence.

Erinle is standing trial alongside his firm, Rinde-Remdex Nigeria Ltd on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, and obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of $1.4 million.

The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Counsel to the anti-graft commission,  Mr. Temitope Banjo, had on April 3, 2023 called the fourth and the last prosecution witness, an investigator with the commission, Mr. Alex Ogbole, who testified against the defendant

Ogbole, in his evidence, told the court how EFCC investigated the alleged crime and discovered that the defendant was a beneficiary.

The witness told the court that EFCC received a petition from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which indicated that the victim of the alleged fraud, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB), had been a victim of Business Email Compromise (BEC).

The prosecution said his offence contravened the provisions of Section 8 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Related Offences, 2006.