A group of six non-governmental and civil society organisations, The Coalition of Civil Societies on Human Rights and Anti-Corruption in Nigeria has blamed sabotage as possible cause of death of some students at the Queens College, Lagos.

In a letter to the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education probing the cause of deaths at the Federal Government’s unity school, The Coalition insisted that, from their findings after an investigation, “we are convinced that what may have happened resulted from acts of sabotage by some desperate persons.”

The former Principal of the College, Dr (Mrs) Lami Amodu has been accused of culpability in the death of some of the students.

The Coalition, in the letter jointly signed by its Chief Convener, Alhaji Sabo Ode, and the Director of Public Affairs, Comrade James Ezema urged the Senate “to ensure that justice is done and that the innocent is not punished for doing that which is right and insisting that the right thing be done in the right way.

“As part of our efforts to ensure justice for all, irrespective of class, tribe or social status, when the news of the regrettable incident that led to the death of some students at the college broke, we moved to make our findings on what may have happened.”

The groups that constitute the coalition include Professional Women League, Africa Women Network, Centre for Social Justice Equity and Transparency, Save Humanity Advocacy Centre, Stand Up Nigeria, and Conference of Minority Tribes in Nigeria.

The group further wrote: “In line with our mandate, we have resolved never to sit back and watch innocent people blackmailed and have always vowed to intervene when our attention is drawn to any injustice, no matter who is involved.

“On the subject matter, we were initially confounded as a result of our inability to reconcile how a mother can act the way the former Director/Principal of the College, Dr. (Mrs) Lami Amodu was alleged to have done over issues that relate to the safety and well-being of pre-teen and teenage girls placed under her care.

“From our findings, Dr. Lami Amodu assumed office on 14th August 2015 as the 23rd Principal of the college and was transferred on February 24, 2017.

“However, we discovered that she took steps on assumption of duty to improve the over 89-year-old college and its facilities and to ensure relevant government Ministry and agencies’ support.”

According to the Coalition, “over time, as we found out, a cartel has been operating within the Queens College Old Girls Association of the school, who always dictated to the management and found for the first time a woman who stood against them.”

Spelling out it findings, the group said: “Mr Chairman and members, we found out that within her 18 months stay on the saddle in the college, Dr Lami Amodu did all things within her power and within the ambit of bureaucracy to effect long lasting changes that were geared towards improving facilities on ground.

“The shocker, for us, was that the incident of stooling and subsequent casualties did not occur in the college until after a meeting held on January 22, 2017, by the Queens College Old Girls Association.

“Our findings showed that while the meeting held in the college hall, some old girls found their way into the hostels and the kitchen areas without authorisation of proper permission.

“A week later, specifically on January 31, 2017, some students were reported to have started stooling and vomiting but luckily the college and health officials promptly managed and contained the menace.

“All of these points to the fact that Dr Lami Amodu understood both the challenges at hand when she assumed office and made efforts to ensure they were addressed,” the group observed.

According to coalition, “one other striking finding was that fact that Dr Amodu was seen as 'very strict', 'very hash' and 'rude' by certain persons.

“On attempt to find out why, we discovered that it was her uncompromising recourse to due process and her resolve that the right thing must be done the right way were the virtues that earned her those tags.

“We believe that the old girls and other collaborators, who have resorted to frivolous petition writing, may have played a role, resulting to the stooling and vomiting incident in the college and the subsequent deaths.

“More so, some of the deaths occurred after the former Principal had been transferred.

“For instance, the death of Sodipo Praise, an orphan who died on March 30, 2017 occurred nearly two months after Dr Amodu had been transferred.

“Our findings equally showed that the young Praise reported to the clinic on 20th February 2017, after Dr Amodu had left the school, with feverish condition and was placed on anti-malaria drugs, with follow up treatment until the college went on midterm break.

“From home, Miss Praise was referred to the Lagos State University Hospital after her ailment continued at home,” the group revealed.

“We gathered that she was diagnosed of liver enlargement and perforation of intestine and later died after surgery, even when she was never treated for stooling and vomiting previously at the college.

“Mr Chairman and members, there is more to the issues being raised and allegations being levelled against Dr Amodu. For instance, she was recently accused in a petition of buying an SUV for N17 million, an allegation we have also investigated and found to be false.

“The SUV, which was not for personal use, was left in the school after her redeployment. Its purchase, we also found out, went through due process and had board approval after the board decided it was very necessary because of the state of the old bus the school had, which was in a very bad condition.

“From our investigations we also found out facts on the allegation of N17 million on SUV, which is also not true as the findings of the investigation have proved contrary in which the purchase of the SUV went through due process and had board approval after the board decided it was very necessary because of the state of the old bus the school had which was in a bad condition and the Sport Utility Vehicle is still used at Queens College Lagos by the principal till date and not a private property of Dr. Mrs Lami Amodu,” the group stated.

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