The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), noted that a thorough investigation would be carried out to ascertain Whitney’s cause of death.

“A Coroner’s Inquest has immediately been requested in line with Sections 14 and 15 of the Coroners’ Systems Law, Laws of Lagos State 2015, to determine the cause and circumstances of death.

“By Section 14(1) (d) of the Coroners’ System Law of the State, report of death shall be made to any of the agencies for the report of death or the office of the Coroner and be subject to post-mortem examination where there is reasonable cause to believe that the cause of death was violent, unnatural or suspicious. Section 15(1) and (9) further enjoins the Coroner to hold an inquest whenever he or she is informed that the death of the deceased person was in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation or believes an inquest is desirable following the report of a reportable death,” Onigbanjo said.

Onigbanjo explained that as a government, the security and well-being of citizens were of utmost importance, as he assured the public that everything would be done to ensure that the cause of death was made public.

“The findings of this investigation will be made public in due course and appropriate sanctions meted out to anyone found culpable,” he added.

there was a mild drama on Monday when some persons believed to be relations of the late student staged a demonstration around the premises of the school.

The protesters were heard complaining that a section of the school was opened and demanded that the whole school be shut down.

Policemen were also sighted close to the entrance of the school.

The school will stay closed while a thorough investigation is conducted, according to Folasade Adefisayo, commissioner for education.

The representative offered condolences to the deceased’s family and friends and said a prayer for the soul’s peace.

Adefisayo, however, called for calm, assuring that “no effort will be spared in investigating the incident”.

The father of the late 12-year-old called for an investigation into her death in a statement circulated on social media.

Michael Adeniran said she neither had any health condition nor was she sick when the school bus picked her up for inter-house sports activities last Thursday.

The 40-year-old media personality who was earlier arraigned in May 2022, by the Nigerian Police on a two-count charge of cyberstalking and breach of peace to which he pleaded not guilty, was re-arraigned on Tuesday July 26 before a Magistrate Court sitting in the Yaba area of Lagos on a fresh one-count charge.

Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), through its counsel, Omolola Saliu, re-arraigned the defendant on a fresh one-count charge before Chief Magistrate Adeola Adedayo.

He is accused of committing the crime through his social media handle (@uchedark) on or about the 18th of April, 2022.

The offence is said to be contrary to section 23 (2) of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law 2021. If found guilty, the defendant risks a seven-year custodial sentence.

The trial has been adjourned till the 28th of September, 2022.

According to a reliable source, those present at the meeting are police officers, officials of the Education Quality Assurance and that of the Directorate of Public Prosecution, Chrisland school authorities including the affected teachers, parents of the affected students, Channels Television reports.

The source further said that no student was sighted as against the earlier scheduled invitation by the police for all parties involved to report to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, for detailed investigations.

A mother had alleged that her daughter was sexually abused during the school’s participation in the World School Games at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Though the school management said the female pupil was among 76 pupils that represented the school at the Dubai event, which was held between March 8 and 14, 2022, it said the allegation of rape was false.

Rather, the school located in the Victoria Garden City area of the state said two pupils of the school engaged in what the school described as “sexual misconduct” in a game called ‘Truth or Dare,’ when the act occurred after lights out.

The school authorities subsequently suspended the female student (name withheld) indefinitely, stating that she was “a major actor” in the “immoral act”.

However, the student’s mother claimed her daughter was raped by some male students of the school in a room.

The female student, whose identity was hidden because she is a minor, was videotaped while the “immoral act” was ongoing.

The video of the incident was later shared on social media.

A copy of the suspension letter obtained by our correspondent accused the female student of taking part in a Truth or Dare game which led to the “immoral act” when they went to Dubai to participate in the World School Games held between March 10 and 13, 2022.

When contacted, authorities of Chrisland School on Victoria Garden City failed to speak.

“We will get back to you on the matter. We will issue a press release soon,” a female voice who picked up the official telephone number of the school responded.

The letter of suspension dated April 14, 2022, was signed by the Head Teacher, G. I. Azike, and titled, Indefinite suspension of …(the female student).”

It read in part, “It was discovered that your daughter was involved in improper behaviour during the recently concluded World School Games in Dubai with a few of her counterparts wilfully participated in a game they called Truth or Dare’, a game which led her and a few other co-learners to carry out an immoral act after the lights-out instruction was given.

“In line with our core values centred on discipline, Chrisland Schools have zero tolerance for any improper behaviour and misconduct. A full-scale investigation has been done and the parents of all the culpable learners have been duly notified of the necessary punishment meted out on the learners.

“The parents gave their full cooperation realising the need to work with the school so that the learners can be corrected and be of expected proper behaviour henceforth.

“However, in the course of the school’s efforts to see how best we can help…who was a major participant in the whole incident, every effort to inform you as her parents about the incident and ensure that this improper behaviour is permanently corrected, has proved to be futile.

“We cannot as a school condone such. Consequently, (the student) is hereby placed on an indefinite suspension until you as the parents ensure that she is punished, adequately counselled and rehabilitated.”

The mother of the student expressed displeasure over how the school handled the incident, saying, “my daughter was dying in silence and she couldn’t speak.

“They threatened to kill her if she speaks and conducted a pregnancy test on my daughter without our consent.”

The mother, in a video, also lamented that the school “lied” to her that what happened was “a kiss” until another parent showed her the video of the “immoral act”.

According to her, the daughter said the “immoral act” happened under the influence of drugs.

She said, “My child attends Chrisland School VGC. Please, I am making this video to beg Nigerians to get justice for me.

“About a month ago, I was on my way out of Lagos when I got a call from the head teacher in Chrisland; she said she wanted to see me and so two days later I went to the school.

“I got to the school and I met their representatives.

They said they wanted me to know that my daughter whom I left in their care on a trip to Dubai had a kiss with a boy and the boy also kissed her.

“They found out that they got the kissing idea through “Truth and Dare” and advised that I should caution my daughter and take her phone from her.

“I said okay, if it is just that, I was going to collect the phone from her. Mrs Kemi also advised me not to tell my husband that it is not everything a woman should tell her husband. I thought the issue wasn’t more than that; so it ended then.”

‘What my daughter told me’

The mother claimed her daughter was suspended after she confronted the school authorities.

“A parent called me that she needed to see me urgently. I went to her house and she told me that something had been trending in Chrisland and she believed I was not aware. The woman showed me the video and told me that all the parents were aware. Immediately, I informed my husband.

“Because we had started confronting them that we were aware of what they did, the school sent her a suspension letter.

When my daughter explained to me what happened, she said that they went out in the morning to have breakfast and one of the boys begged her to lend him her phone charger which she obliged. After they had dinner, the boy called her room that she should come and take her charger. She went there for her charger.

“When she got into the room, one of them said she should take her charger from the toilet; it was when she entered the toilet that they told her to take a substance, so they were all under the influence. She said after that she did not know what she was doing again.

“Please, I am begging Nigerians to help me because Chrisland is trying to hide this issue. They are trying to push us out of the way and my daughter is affected psychologically. Please, I need help as a mother. I am begging fellow Nigerians to help me.”

The PUNCH had reported that pupils from the elite private school located in Victoria Garden City had embarked on a trip to Dubai to participate in the World School Games between March 10 and 13, 2022 when the incident happened.

Following the incident, the school authorities suspended the student indefinitely, stating that she was “a major actor” in an “immoral act”.

But the mother of the student claimed that her daughter was drugged and raped by some male students of the school.

Efforts to reach the school for clarification proved abortive as of the time of filing this report.

Following the controversy generated by the incident, the Lagos State Government shut down all branches of the school in the state.

The state government, in a statement on Monday, warned citizens that sharing such footage amounts to child pornography and could attract up to a 14-year jail term.

This is to reassure members of the public of the State Government’s commitment to safety and child protection.

This is] especially in ensuring that all child-centred institutions within the state, formulate and implement policies and systems that are compliant with the Executive Order (NO.EO/AAO8 of 2016), Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Program.

“We also use this medium to remind the general public of the implications pertaining to engaging in any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a child committing an offence.

“[They are] liable to a custodial sentence of fourteen (14) years. This includes producing, distributing, receiving, or possessing an image of child pornography.

“In the meantime, all Chrisland schools within Lagos State are hereby closed, pending further investigations,” the statement read in part.