Trouble looms as parents blame Anambra school for son’s death

Parents of a JSS 2 student, Mr and Mrs Cornelius Onyekwuluije, have accused the St. Michaels Boys College, Ozubulu, Anambra State, of negligence in the death of their son, Master Chimdalu Onyekwuluje.

Master Onyekwuluje, an 11-year-old student of the school, reportedly died on December 17, 2021, nine days after he was picked up by the parents from the school.

The Onyekwulujes said the school management refused to alert the family when their son fell sick while in the school.

The father of the boy, Mr Cornelius Onyekwuluije, who spoke during the burial of his late son in Uzoakwa, Ihiala Local Government Are of the state, revealed that they got to know about the condition of their son when a cousin to the deceased borrowed a phone to inform them about their son’s ill health.

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He alleged that the school management insisted that the deceased must stay behind to finish his exams before he would be released, saying the decision was the reason for his death.

He also added that the school authorities punished the boy who leaked the information to them.

He said, “My son, Chimdalu Onyekwuluje, died out of negligence on the part of the school. He was sick and they refused to tell us. It was my son’s cousin that borrowed a phone to call his mother to tell us to come and pick Chimdalu that he was dying.

“The boy told us that he had been the one carrying our son from the school hostel to the classroom to sit for exams every day.

“Even after the call, I reached the guardian of my son, but he told me that the boy was okay, and that it was nothing serious. I insisted on coming from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where I live to pick him. They kept insisting it was nothing serious. How can a student be sick and you insist he must stay and finish his exams?

“When I insisted I must see him, I was surprised the boy looked so bad that he was already dying. I asked the guardian if this was the boy he said was alright, but he did not answer. Now, I have lost my only son.”

He added that the family had, however, indicated interest to pursue justice for their son, saying that a petition had been sent to the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba and the family would stop at nothing until justice is served. Punch