The commencement of the hearing of the coroner inquest set up to investigate the death of 12-year-old pupil of Chrisland School Lagos state, Whitney Adeniran, on February 9, has been fixed for April 4,
The Magistrate, Olabisi Fajana, fixed the date after entertaining submissions of all counsels who appeared before the court sitting in Ikeja. The counsel to the deceased’s family, Femi Falana (SAN), had informed the court that they were unable to file a witness statement as instructed by the court at the last adjourned date. He further told the court that the magistrates’ registry refused to process the enrolling of the witness statement on the grounds that there was no provision for filing of coroner processes.
The counsel for Chrisland School, Olukayode Enitan (SAN), and the state counsel, Akin George, corroborated the position of Falana, seeking the court`s directive as to how to get their processes filed.
The Magistrate then informed the counsels that she would get directives from the chief magistrate on how to ensure that the processes were filed before the coroner.
The counsel to Chrisland school had informed the court that he had an application before it seeking to get samples and materials to carry out an independent evaluation of the autopsy report.
In a counter-reaction, Falana, who said that they had not been served, told the court that the autopsy was done in the presence of the school’s representatives and other concerned parties. However, the state counsel, George, told the court that what the state received was a letter, not an application and that the state would respond at the appropriate time.
The magistrate advised all counsels to ensure that their processes were filed and confirmed on April 3. She then adjourned the case to April 4 for the commencement of trial.
An autopsy carried out of late Whitney showed she died of electrocution.
