NewStats: 3,261,749 , 8,175,007 topics. Date: Friday, 30 May 2025 at 11:36 AM 521e5x

Five-Year-Old Boy Drowns During Swimming Lesson Organised By His School In Lagos (Photo)

A five-year-old boy has drowned during a swimming lesson organised by his school in Ikeja, Lagos, IgbereTV reports.

Chidera Eze, a student of the Redeemers Nursery and Primary School, Ogba, Lagos State, went for the swimming lesson at the Ivory Health Club, Ogundana Street, Ikeja.

He and other students were accompanied by some teachers and caregivers of the school.

During the swimming lesson, Chidera and other students were said to be playing at the tip of the pool when he slipped into it.

His father, Anthony, told a Punch correspondent on Wednesday, May 18, that the teachers, caregivers and lifeguards were not aware that his son had fallen into the pool until he drowned.

He said: "I dropped my children at the Redeemers Nursery and Primary School on Acme Road, Ogba, on Monday morning, and I went to work. At 10.52am, I got a call from their head teacher, Mrs Adeola Oladipo, and she told me that my son was involved in an accident and that he had been rushed to the Ikeja Medical Centre.

"I rushed down there, but what I saw was the lifeless body of my son. I asked the head teacher what happened and she said she did not know. I asked the doctor what happened and he said he was brought in dead. I asked the teachers, caregivers and workers at the club what happened and they gave no explanation.

"As I was crying, my wife came in; I was trying to manage the information, but the head teacher also informed her and as she ran into the hospital, I became totally confused. I went to the Area F Police Station and after the policemen took pictures of my son’s corpse, we went to the club.

"When we got there, we discovered that it was the adult swimming pool section that they took the pupils to. I was alarmed and while the policemen were investigating, we realised that CCTV was installed at the club. So, we demanded to check the CCTV footage and it revealed everything."

Anthony claimed that the footage revealed that his son was in the pool for over 30 minutes before he died, adding that his son’s corpse was discovered by another person, who came to swim in the pool.

He said: "In the footage, we saw that the school brought more than 15 children, took them to the adult side of the swimming pool and made them sit at the tip with their legs in the water and without wearing any kits. We saw only one caregiver in the video and she was just going in and coming out, leaving the children unmanned.

"My son was at the tail end of the line when he slipped into the pool the first time but he was able to bring himself out of the pool. But the second time he slipped into the water, he could not come out. All these happened and none of the teachers, caregivers, and lifeguards took notice of what was happening.

"My son was under the water for over 30 minutes and we were all shouting as we watched the video. Another pupil also fell into the water, but her colleagues raised the alarm and they pulled her out and while this was going on, nobody noticed my son was inside the water.

"My son died because of the recklessness of these people who were supposed to take care of him. I want justice to forestall this kind of thing happening again. The caregivers, lifeguards, school management and the Ivory Health Club can’t go unpunished. My son’s corpse has been deposited in the morgue."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CduvvH5tlpL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Why do 5-10 years need swimming practice sessions for heaven's sakes?

It' high time school owners vet non-schooling engagements they expose their students to. See, now, such good will and years of efforts will flush through the drain over some non-sensical activity that would have been suggested by a fool

Such a terrible way to die. Trying to paint a picture of how the little boy was struggling down there, sends shiver down my spine.

They should sue the School authorities and Ivory Health Club.

Sadly, no amount of pecuniary compensation can ever bring the child back to life.

Life is not worth anything in this country again


A day will not in Nigeria without one hearing one negative story or the other especially death story


Why taking kids to adult natatorial section. The people involve should be punished for their recklessness.
Even as an adult I don't near anything body of water, even the children swimming poll I don't near it.

And finally, the village people don catch the proprietor

Negligence by everyone concerned.

Negligence by the health club for not having a lifeguard on site.

Negligence by the school management for organising swimming lessons for kids at the adult section of the pool and without inflatable kits.

Negligence by the teachers for not keeping a constant eye on the little kids.

So many poor decisions led to the death of this boy.

MerciMe:
Why do 5-10 years need swimming practice sessions for heaven's sakes?

so they can swim away from Nigeria!!!

What a painful loss. The pains of loosing a child is always difficult to bear. But at the end one will be left with no other option but to accept the reality.

Nothing can mitigate a parents loss of their child. Nothing!!!

My condolences.

Here we go again.
Next action Lagos closes the health club and closes the school.
Then another side of the story is heard and the confusion sets in.
I just wonder why schools are still so laikadaisical about looking after children knowing the blame would always be on them first if anything goes wrong.

Those teachers should be punish for such carelessness....

MerciMe:
Why do 5-10 years need swimming practice sessions for heaven's sakes?

It' high time school owners vet non-schooling engagements they expose their students to. See, now, such good will and years of efforts will flush through the drain over some non-sensical activity that would have been suggested by a fool

Nothing wrong with kids learning to swim.

However, all safety protocols MUST be in place.

Nigerians in general aren't safety conscious.

Gross negligence from those teachers... The father should sue the school.. so that other schools will learn from it..

In such situation,
<< The school should have organised or collaborate with the health club to get a lifeguard for the event.. at least he/ will be monitoring the pool until the event is over...

<< One can never take for granted things that concerns kids.. because they will always be kids

<<< Now the teachers will find something to lie about to cover up their negligence..Mchewww!!

Pathetic.
Rest in peace young one.

Another wahala again abi dem curse lagos schools?

All this lagos private schools

5yrs old inside adult swimming pool

Aidejay:
so they can swim away from Nigeria!!!

One of the most useless country the world’s ever seen

What a very sad story!!! Poor, poor parents!

Allot of teachers and care givers don't have ion for the job .RIP innocent boy God rest your soul.

dollynnn:

Such a terrible way to die. [b]Trying to paint a picture of how the little boy was struggling down there, sends shiver down my spine.
They should sue the School authorities and Ivory Health Club.
Sadly, no amount of pecuniary compensation can ever bring the child back to life.
[/b]

Honestly. I don't want to imagine it

What kind of anyhowness is this?

Mehn!! Even low budget and high class schools are same now, public school con better sef

There's Parent Teacher Association for a reason, for events like this, I'll advice the school include one or two parents (reps. from the PTA) as guardians.

onthehill:
Five-Year-Old Boy Drowns During Swimming Lesson Organised By His School In Lagos (Photo)



https://www.instagram.com/p/CduvvH5tlpL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Lalasticlala
Mynd44

Endtime school. Is there a subject called swimming in Primary school?

Mayng01:
And finally, the village people don catch the proprietor

And the boy na collateral damage

I see reasons why my wife won't budge to my children going on school excursions, we'd rather take them ourselves

The true meaning of negligence.

Sad

Slynation:
if I'm the father of that kid...I will sue you for this useless comments!! Is there any subject like swimming?? Did they consult anybody before taking people's children to the pool, did they even know if these kids had phobia for water bodies...I wonder how some of you reason things in this country tho...

The punishment would not bring back the dead lad.
They've got CCTV there but no one to man it
CCTV is used to watch what is happening not what gas happened

This is an act of carelessness and negligence by the school. These kid's should have been take to the kid's section and the death of this young one would have been averted.