Rapheala Ogbodo: Lagos Govt Shuts School as 2-Year-Old Dies in Swimming Pool Accident
- The Lagos state government is investigating the death of a two-year-old girl, Rapheala Ogbodo, at Smiley Kids Montessori, Sangotedo, on January 15
- Officials from the Safety Commission and the Ministry of Education have visited the school, which has been shut pending further investigation
- The government condoled the victim's family and reiterated the need for schools to adhere to safety regulations
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Sangotedo, Lagos state - The Lagos state government has commenced an investigation into the swimming pool accident that occurred at Smiley Kids Montessori, Heritage Place Estate, Sangotedo, which led to the death of a two-year-old female, Rapheala Ogbodo.
The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday, January 15.
Source: Facebook
A statement released by the state government on Saturday, January 18, indicates that officials of the Lagos State Safety Commission and the Office of Education Quality Assurance, Ministry of Education have visited the scene of the accident to carry out a preliminary investigation and ascertain the root cause of the unfortunate incident.
Legit.ng gathers the school has been shut pending further investigation.
Lagos government condoles Rapheala Ogbodo's family
Meanwhile, the Lagos state government has also sent condolences to the victim's family and expressed its commitment to preventing future occurrences.
The director-general of the Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, stated that all school owners and caregivers must comply with safety regulations to prevent accidents in the State.
Mojola further stated that further information would be made available upon completing investigations into the accident.
Rapheala Ogbodo: Controversies over cause of death
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that there were controversies over the actual cause of Rapheala's death.
Rapheala's bereaved mother said though she was told her daughter drowned, she discovered her child was electrocuted. She alleged that her daughter's body was put the body in the pool to make it look like drowning.
She further shared a picture of the pool with a high barricade to keep children away and asked how a two-year-old could have climbed over the barricade. The bereaved mother, therefore, called on the Lagos state government to investigate the incident.
Teacher’s car crushes pupil to death in Lagos school
Pupil deaths on school premises are not uncommon in Lagos. Legit.ng reported in 2023 that Rofiat, a 10-year-old pupil of Isiu Grammar School, died after a teacher's car knocked her down inside her school premises in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state.
The tragic incident happened on Friday, September 29, 2023, when a Nissan car parked by a teacher identified simply as Dele started to roll backwards and knocked her down.
A resident of the area said no one could explain how the car, parked in the early hours of the day, suddenly started moving around 1pm.
Lagos teacher allegedly flogs pupil to death
In another incident, the Oko Afo community in Lagos state was thrown into mourning in 2024 when a 16-year-old in one of its host schools, Davide Babadipo, was allegedly beaten to death by his teacher, identified as Oluwale.
The incident sparked outrage, with students staging a protest over the tragic demise of their colleague.
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Source: Legit.ng
