The cotton candy vendor, Ademoye Adewale, who sold snacks to pupils of Chrisland Schools Opebi, at Agege Stadium, Lagos during the school’s recent sports activities on Monday told the coroner set up to unravel the cause of death of Whitney Adeniran that the autopsy conducted by the Lagos State Government was erroneous.
According to Punch, he said Whitney did not die as a result of electrocution as stated in the autopsy report. Adewale, who said he makes Shawarma, Candy Floss, Popcorn, and Barbecue on request, stated this before Magistrate Olanike Fajana, at the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ogba.
The state government had stated that the post-mortem report revealed that Whitney died of Asphyxia and electrocution. The report dated March 1, 2023, was issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. The 12-year-old pupil reportedly slumped and died during the school’s inter-house sports at the Agege Stadium, on February 9, 2023.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, Adewale told the coroner that on the day of the incident, the school management had stopped him from producing Shawarma and Candy Floss under the pool.
The witness, who was cross-examined by the deceased’s family lawyer, Mr Femi Falana SAN, said he was an independent vendor of the Agege Stadium where he registered to be able to conduct his business. Adewale told Magistrate Fajana that he registered his business in February 2013 and that he was always at the Stadium and when Chrisland School came to inspect the stadium they saw him and liked him.
Adewale explained that in all the events he had sold snacks, he had never experienced electrocution with his machine. He said he did not see the deceased when she slumped but he saw pupils and teachers surrounding the pupil on the ground.
“When I went to check what was happening, I saw teachers and pupils surrounding her and I asked what happened, they said she slumped,” he explained.
He added, “To the best of my observation, the deceased did not die of electrocution. There was no naked wire, the autopsy was erroneous and from where the deceased was, it was 5cm from where my machine was and it was unplugged.
“I don’t know if the deceased died of electrocution. Other organisations have conducted tests and there was nothing like electrocution”.
The case was further adjourned till May 22, for continuation of hearing.