The unfortunate death of 11-year-old David Oluwanifemi Elijah has left his family devastated and in deep agony.
Tragedy struck at Millennium Community Junior Grammar School, Kareem Laka, Egbeda, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, when David fell from the school’s two-storey building classroom, sustaining severe injuries which eventually led to his death.
Eleven-year-old David Oluwanifemi Elijah had no inkling or foreboding of the horror that awaited him in school that fateful day of December 5, 2025. Like his other schoolmates, David had dressed up neatly for school, full of excitement and the usual vivacity.
He was a Junior Secondary School (JSS 2) student at Millennium Community Junior Grammar School, Egbeda, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
However, tragedy struck during break time, when he fell from the window of his second floor classroom, pushed, allegedly, by a classmate. No one is sure whether the push was during a playful scuffle, as is common with pupils his age or out of malice.
David landed awkwardly and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital.
Narrating the unfortunate incident to our correspondent, David’s father, Mr. Elijah, who wept uncontrollably, said: “I received an emergency call from the school informing me that my son had tragically fallen from a top-floor classroom window after allegedly being pushed by a classmate.
“I immediately informed my wife who became distraught, and we both rushed to Crystal Hospital in Egbeda, where he had been taken for initial treatment.
“The hospital management later stated that they could not handle the severity of his injuries, and he was promptly transferred to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
“At LASUTH, fresh medical examinations were conducted, X-rays, medications, and other treatments. I bore all the cost.
“Thereafter, I was informed that David required two urgent surgeries estimated at about ₦5 million, and that due to the doctors’ strike, only a standard private hospital could perform the procedures.”
The school principal, The Nation learnt, had earlier paid ₦20,000 for the initial hospital card at Crystal Hospital.
Mr. Elijah, and later the school principal, also confirmed that the school provided a total of ₦200,000 to assist in medical expenses.
However, David’s condition required more. Mr. Elijah revealed further: “I contacted Education District 1 and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Idowu Olufunke Oyetola, regarding financial assistance and she informed me that she had written an appeal letter to the Ministry of Education at the Alausa Secretariat, attaching medical reports and receipts.”
In addition, he said, “The church I’m attending, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), wrote a financial appeal letter dated December 17, 2025, addressed to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, with copies sent to the Deputy Governor’s Office; the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly; the Secretary to the State Government; and the Commissioner for Basic and Tertiary Education. An acknowledgment copy of each of the letters was reportedly received on December 19, 2025”.
“Despite these efforts,” the distraught dad revealed, “no financial assistance came forth between December 5 and December 21, 2025 while David remained hospitalised at LASUTH. This was in spite of the medical personnel emphasis on the urgency of the surgeries to prevent complications and ease my son’s severe pain.
“With no support coming from the government, and medical bills mounting, I eventually withdrew my son from LASUTH to seek alternative treatment at an orthopedic facility, having exhausted all my savings.
“Tragically, David passed away on January 19, 2026”.
His death has raised serious concerns about school safety standards and the response of government authorities to medical emergencies involving students.
The grief of sympathisers was shared; the agony, common. They were all convinced that David’s death could have been prevented.
During inquiries at the school, the principal, Mr. Abolaji said, “I am not authorised to speak extensively on the matter without directive from Education District 1. However, I can confirm that approximately ₦200,000 was spent from the school’s funds to support David’s treatment.”
When approached for comment, the Permanent Secretary of Education District 1, Dr. Idowu Olufunke Oyetola maintained that: “I fulfilled my responsibility by forwarding the financial appeal to the Ministry of Education”.
She also claimed: “We spent ₦400,000 on David” — a figure disputed by Mr. Elijah, who denied receiving such an amount.
Dr. Oyetola also faulted the bereaved father’s action. “Why did he withdraw David from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) without informing my office?”
Mr. Elijah corroborated her: “The Permanent Secretary insisted that the boy should have remained at LASUTH despite his severe pain. But I took the difficult decision to remove my son from the hospital after waiting in vain for government assistance.
“The doctors repeatedly emphasised the urgency of the required surgeries and made it clear that payment was necessary before any procedure could be carried out.”
Meanwhile, David was said to be in excruciating pain, struggling daily as his condition worsened.
The matter took a twist, when the Permanent Secretary alleged that Mr. Elijah, following the demise of his son, approached her to request a financial compensation for his wife to start a business.
“Mr. Elijah was attempting to use his son’s death to negotiate for money; does that align with Yoruba cultural values?”
Again, Mr. Elijah strongly denied this, describing it as entirely false. “Fortunately, I did not meet the Permanent Secretary alone but in the company of an elderly man who can attest that no such request was made. All I did was seek urgent medical assistance for my son’s surgeries”.
When this reporter sought clarification on why Mr. Elijah’s appeal for financial support to treat his son got no response despite the 16 long days the boy battled for his life, Dr. Oyetola became visibly unsettled and accused this correspondent of taking sides: “You have colluded with Mr. Elijah’s family and already formed a biased conclusion”.
She then rudely ordered this reporter to “leave my office”.
This correspondent, however, remained calm but stood his ground.
But the situation escalated when Dr. Oyetola allegedly began raining curses on the reporter, even telling him: “May you experience the loss of your own child, so you can negotiate his death for money”.
At that point, our correspondent, fearing she could escalate it further, left her office.
She also warned the correspondent not to name her in any report, threatening that “there will be consequences”.
Ministry of Education denies receiving letter
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr. Kayode Sutton, stated that he was not aware of any letter regarding David’s case but promised to contact the Permanent Secretary for clarification.
As at the time of filing this report, no response had been received.
Concerns over safety measures in public schools
The tragedy has sparked questions about safety measures in public secondary schools in Lagos. Some Education experts who spoke to our correspondent pointed out that many of the Millennium Schools in Lagos State originally conceptualised during the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Governor in 2003, were architecturally impressive but may lack certain protective features, such as burglary proof bars on upper floor classroom windows.
Concerns have also been raised about students’ supervision, particularly during break periods when teachers may not be present in classrooms.
Many also wonder why the Lagos State government could not come through for the family during the long days the boy struggled for life. Is it a case of negligence on the part of officials who should have taken the matter up or to higher authorities? Or sheer government disregard for human life, especially of a child in its custody – given the fact that the incident happened during school hours and within school premises?
A Lagos-based educationist, Mr. Arowolo Akinsola argued that younger students should ideally occupy ground floor classrooms and that stricter safety guidelines should be in place to regulate students’ movement, especially in multi-storey buildings.
He lamented that the incident underscores the urgent need for comprehensive safety reviews across public schools in Lagos State and beyond, to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again.
Unfortunately, David’s death has left his family devastated and has intensified calls for improved school safety standards, clearer emergency response protocols, and more transparent government intervention processes in cases involving students’ welfare.
Our correspondent also contacted the Parents Forum (PF), Alimosho Zone, an association introduced by the Lagos State Government during the temporary absence of the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), where the chairman, Mr. Lukman Adebayo, provided insights into the steps taken following David’s incident.
According to Adebayo, the Forum constituted an Elders’ Committee led by Hon. Ogundimu J.A., a former chairman of the Forum, to review the matter and formally appeal to the authorities.
“We set up an elders’ committee on the David incident, led by Hon. Ogundimu J.A. (JP). The committee wrote an appeal letter to the Ministry of Education in Alausa. However, Hon. Ogundimu later received a call from the Ministry directing him to channel the letter through Education District I, which we did.” Adebayo explained. However, on receiving the letter, the Education District I, the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary, Dr. Idowu Olufunke Oyetola, summoned Ogundimu to her office and questioned him about the appeal.
Our reporter also obtained an acknowledged copy of the appeal letter sent by the Parents Forum to the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary, with Hon. Ogundimu’s contact details included.
When contacted Ogundimu affirmed that the narration was accurate.
In his words, Ogundimu confirmed Adebayo’s account: “She summoned me to her office and asked me to explain why I sent the appeal letter to the Ministry. She accused me of trying to make it appear as though she was not doing her job.”
Ogundimu also strongly refuted the allegation that the bereaved father demanded compensation money from the Permanent Secretary. “I personally took Mr. Elijah to her office. He never asked for compensation. He only sought government financial intervention to save his son’s life, which unfortunately did not happen.”
Credit: TheNation
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