Brickhall School, Abuja, has commiserated with the family of its late four-year-old pupil, Miguel Ovoke, who died on April 24 after allegedly choking on a piece of meat during a meal.

In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, Janet Agu, the school’s spokeswoman, said the school was mourning the late pupil. She said the pupil had allegedly choked on a piece of meat in the home-packaged meal he ate during school hours.

Ms Agu said the school was saddened that the life of the pupil could not be saved despite the timely response of its trained nurse and the eventual decision to rush him to a hospital.

“While noting the decision to mourn the late pupil by closing the school for one week, the school, respectively, urged everyone connected to the tragedy to respect Miguel’s memory with dignity and peace,” said the statement. “Medical professionals and law enforcement agencies should be allowed to conclude with the autopsy.”

Ms Agu said the school had convened an urgent meeting with the school community on the day of the incident in response to the heart-wrenching incident.

The school’s statement added, “Out of respect for Miguel’s memory and to honour his bright spirit, we suspended classes for over a week, allowing our community time to mourn and reflect on this profound loss.

“We have cooperated fully with the relevant authorities to ensure a thorough and compassionate resolution for everyone affected, especially Miguel’s grieving family. The leadership of both the school and the Parents Teachers Forum has visited Miguel’s family to offer our support and condolences during this indescribably difficult time.

“We stand with them in their grief and extend our support to all who loved Miguel, his friends, classmates and our entire community.”

According to the statement, as the school resumes, particularly for students preparing for their Senior and Junior School Certificate examinations, the school management reaffirms its commitment to the well-being and education of all its students.

It said the school would continue to work closely with medical professionals, law enforcement agencies and Miguel’s family to clarify the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Brickhall added that the school would strive for transparency and sensitivity, noting that public narrative would not always capture the complexity of the painful moment. 

(NAN)