The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has cleared the air over the death of a six-year-old school pupil, Modadeoluwa Lawal, in Abuja.
Lawal was said to have died on Wednesday, November 02, 2022, after attending swimming classes at her school — Start Rite International School, Abuja — the same day she celebrated her birthday with other pupils. Earlier, the family had blamed the pupil’s death on the carelessness of the school’s swimming instructor.
But the FCT Police Command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, in a statement on Friday, said their investigation revealed that the pupil died from “Aspiration Asphyxia”.
She said, “But this is the fact, the de@th of Modade Lawal is indeed a pathetic one. However, investigations so far have revealed that She didn’t die by drowning, but as a result of food ‘Aspiration asphyxia’. On the 2nd of November, She had a swim day as part of the school curriculum and had earlier celebrated her birthday that same day before hitting the pool in the company of other pupils, under the supervision of the Lifeguards, instructors, and teachers.
At about 11:45 pm, While being coached, the instructor noticed she wasn’t properly responding as she naturally would, he stopped and brought her out of the 4 -2 feat deep poolside to examine her and noticed she was having difficulties in breathing.
The school medical team was alerted and she was taken to the hospital where she sustained a series of further heart attacks. The Doctor struggled to revive her but she was confirmed de@d at about 6:45 pm of the same day.”
