A HIGH Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, Abujesday, April 8, ordered an Abuja-based secondary school, Louisville Girls Secondary School, Gwagwalada, to pay the sum of N100 million in general damages for negligence in the death of one of its students, Kamzie Ikpeatusim.
According to Premium Times, the court, headed by Sylvanus Oriji, accused the school of negligence, which led to the death of Kamzie.
The judge also awarded the sum of N300,000 against the school as the cost of the action.
The judgment was delivered in the suit, marked CV/1738/18, filed by the father of the deceased pupil, Ifeanyi Ikpeatusim, against Louisville Girls Secondary School, Gwagwalada.
Ikpeatusim had sued the school, claiming their negligence caused his 9-year-old daughter’s death. The deceased girl, Kamzie, became severely ill just weeks after starting as a boarding student and passed away in October 2017.
Delivering his judgment, the trial judge, Oriji, held that the school’s negligence of duty and lack of care was indeed responsible for the death of Kamzie.
According to the judge, evidence available before the court showed that the deceased was not given adequate attention when she complained of illness.
While awarding costs against the school, Oriji admitted that no amount of money could bring the deceased back to life.
The judge ordered that 10 per cent interest be applied to the judgment sum from April 8 until full payment is made.
Oriji lauded the school management for improvements made to its sick bay following the unfortunate death of Kamzie, stressing that the introduction of doctors attending to students twice a day is praiseworthy.
On a relief sought by the bereaved father that a school structure be named in honour of his late daughter, the judge declined and instead suggested that improvements to the school’s sick bay were sufficient tribute to her memory.
A reporter with the ICIR
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