The victim’s father was said to be in shock and disbelief
and had refused to show up to collect the corpse, saying, “It cannot be my
daughter”.
The aunt of the deceased, Christiana Idowu, who described
her as gentle, quiet and respectful said she saw her corpse in the hospital
after the family received an emergency call from one of Celestina’s friends.
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity because she was not
permitted to talk to journalists, said the incident occurred on Monday.
She said, “We had finished with the morning assembly, but
some students were still coming in. Celestina had prepared her desk in
readiness for the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination’s
practical they were to have that morning.”
It was learnt that she later went to buy the food she would
eat and when she was returning to her class in company of other students,
that tragedy struck.
The eyewitness said, “The lightning came in their direction
and immediately three of the school girls fell down.
“Two of them rose up and ran and Celestina rose up too. Then
the lighteningt struck the second time, and she (Celestine) fell finally on the
floor and did not rise again.
‘She was immediately taken to the teachers’ staff room,
where a teacher was asked to take her to the Gbagada General Hospital. It was
there she was confirmed dead.”
The principal of the school was said to be away on a
week-long conference in Makurdi when the incident happened but authorities of
the school contacted Celestina’s grandmother at New Garage area of Lagos.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Education with her
entourage were said to have visited the school on Tuesday morning.
A resident of the area, Mr. Kabiawu Babajide, who also
claimed to be an alumnus of the school told our correspondent the lightning
also wreaked havoc in the area.
The monarch of Oworonsoki land, Oba Bashir Oloruntodupefun,
said the gods were angry because Oworosoki land had been desecrated by
strangers and the government was taking over ancestral lands and selling them
to non-indigenes.
He said, “It’s a pity the girl died. The circumstances
surrounding her death are mysterious because the girl was never sick. From what
happened, we can all see the gods are making demands.
“The shrines that should be used for sacrifices have been
swept away in water. And the land we have is being sold by government officials
to their friends and they send military men to threaten us.
“Government needs to give us our land back. The real Oworo
is submerged in waters. We want them to help sand fill those places taken over
by water because many cultural heritage has been lost. If this is done, evil
will no longer occur.”
The Chairman of a community development association in the
area, Chief Jelili Lawal, said, Celestina would be buried after necessary
sacrifices and atonement had been made to appease the gods.
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