The
family of a Senior Secondary School 3 female pupil of Muslim College
Oworonsoki, Lagos, has been thrown into mourning after lightning struck
and killed 19-year-old Celestina Farotide, who was about to start her
final examination the same morning.
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.”
PUNCH Metro learnt
that she later went to buy the food she would eat and when she was
returning to her class in company with other students, 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, told PUNCH Metro that Celestina would be buried after necessary sacrifices and atonement had been made to appease the gods.
Punch Nigeria
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