The dream of Miss Edima Ini Umoh, a 15-year-old student of Full Life Secondary School, owned by Full Life Christian Centre (FLCC), along Airport Road, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, has been cut short by her sudden death.
The late student complained of headache and reached out to her mother, for malaria drug and pepper soup in her domitorty.
She was said to have rejected the Coartem brand of malaria drug given to her by the school management, but few hours after the mother arrived, she was found unconscious at the back of a car arranged to rush her for emergency check by medics at a hospital along Edet Akpan Avenue, where she was confirmed Dead On Arrival (DOA).
The deceased, Pecohub gathered, was still grappling with the ongoing West African Examination Council (WAEC), when the sad incident that has thrown the school and the distraught family into mourning occurred.
Narrating the incident, the Principal, Mrs AniefonteAbasi Victor-Williams, described the death of Edima, as “mysterious which happened within a twinkle of an eye, recalling that the late student was healthy and bubbling with life on the fateful day as she was seen mingling with friends happily after school the school hours.
She said: “We are fully aware of the demise of our students Edima Ini Umoh, she was in SS3, currently writing her final exams, she was in this school from creche; she was the only pioneer student remaining to graduate before the sad event took place.
“From a family of five children and all her elderly ones passed through this school, she was the last child of her parents. Everything happened quickly, because by the time that I was called, I was already ministering in my husband’s Church as I’m also a Pastor, and had left the school. Shortly before we left school, she was with a crossed slippers, and was healthy, we even sent her to call another student from the hostel that afternoon,”
However, the principal said the deceased had earlier complained of headache and the school Nurse administered Paracetamol during lunch time at exactly 2:30pm after taking her lunch the deceased was normal .
“We were told that she earlier complained of headache and the nurse gave her Paracetamol, during lunch time, 2:30pm, she was fine, she went to eat and even had some more because here, we run a very homely facility here, if a child is not satisfied, they have the right to get more meal.
Williams disclosed that when she left the school, the deceased complained of headache again, which compelled the school Nurse to give Coartem brand of malaria drug but she turned down insisting that they should called her mother to bring “Amatem” malaria tablet being her regular drug for malaria treatment.
She said the matron obliged and the deceased spoke with the mum using the Matron’s phone as she asked her to bring pepper soup and her drug, but the the mother delayed for three hours before she showed up in the school.
The principal said while waiting for the mother to arrive in the school, the deceased pleaded that they allow her to sleep and she died in her sleep.
“The hostel parents came back to check those on Prep if they were reading, and this was when she saw white substance mixed with blood coming out from Edima’s nose, that was when she raised alarm and there was Panic everywhere.
“By the time they carried her out of the bed, she had messed herself up, they clean her up and the Nurse tried ressucitating her until the Doctor arrived. We affiliates with Premier Clinic, my Boss and every other schools leaders were called and they all ran down to the school immediately, I met them at the Premier clinic where the girl was on oxygen, and we prayed, hoping she will respond,” she recalled.
Meanwhile , the family of the deceased have demanded an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death of the teenage girl.
In a letter titled “Demand For Full Disclosure Of Events Leading To Unnecessary And Unfortunate Death Of Miss Edima Ini Umoh” from Nemo Judex Chambers, signed by Edikan Lawrence (Esq) addressed to the Proprietor Full Life Academy, Rev. Ntia I. Ntia, the family demanded detailed account of events that culminated in the death of their daughter in the school premises.
A copy of the letter which was served to the state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Idongesit Etiebet; the Akwa State Commissioner of Police (CP), Olatoye Durosinmi, stated that “action will be taken against the School if there is no response within the expected period.”
The letter reads in parts :
“The saddest part of the entire story is that up to this moment, the school has not been able to give a full and detailed account of what transpired within the school campus that culminated into such a regrettable, untimely, painful and unfortunate loss of an exceptionally bright, lively and intelligent girl of 15-years-old in your custody and care who died of “unnatural causes”
The family also warned that if the school would not furnish them with relevant information, the parents would stop at nothing in seeking redress in Court.
“Part of the petition reads: “Take notice that where you to refuse to act in terms of this demands within the time stated above, we have our client’s instruction to resort to other legal measures to ensure that justice is not only done, but seen to have been done in this case, and it wil be without further recourse to you.”