A tragic incident at Wisdom Good School in Rivers State has sparked outrage nationwide after a two-year-old girl reportedly died due to a collapsing bookshelf.
The family of the child has alleged negligence on the part of the school, attempts to cover up the circumstances of her death, and complicity by local police authorities.
According to a viral video shared by social media commentator Certified Courtist, the toddler was dropped off at the private school on March 17th for what should have been a normal day.
Hours later, around 3:00 PM, the parents received a shocking call from the school informing them that their child had died.
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“The school first told the parents that books had fallen on the child and killed her, which made no sense,”.
Investigations later revealed that a poorly mounted bookshelf, which had not been properly secured to the wall, had collapsed on the sleeping child.
The shelf reportedly fell directly on her head, fracturing her skull and causing severe bleeding, leading to her instant death.
The family alleged that the school delayed informing them about the incident. Instead, the child was allegedly rushed to multiple hospitals, where she was eventually pronounced dead, before the parents were notified.
When they arrived at the school, the parents reportedly discovered that critical evidence had been tampered with.
Mats stained with blood had been cleaned, and the bookshelf was moved to another classroom.
The situation escalated after the family reported the case to Umukoro Police Station.
Courtist claimed that a magistrate intervened at the police station, facilitating the release of some school staff who had been arrested in connection with the incident.
Dissatisfied with the handling of the case, the family later transferred the matter to the Rivers State Criminal Investigation Department (CID). There, an autopsy reportedly confirmed that the child died from the impact of the falling shelf.
Despite these findings, weeks have passed without any arrests or prosecutions, prompting allegations of police inaction and intimidation toward the grieving family.
Courtist added that authorities have reportedly refused to release the autopsy report, citing bureaucratic delays, while repeated promises of legal action have gone unfulfilled.
The incident has also raised serious questions about the level of supervision at the school. According to Courtist, no teachers were present in the classroom when the bookshelf collapsed.
The commentator further alleged that the school operates unsafe facilities and has influence that allows it to evade accountability.
Reports indicate that the school is already preparing to reopen after a so-called “risk assessment,” prompting further outrage from the public.
The case has reignited calls for stricter regulation of private schools, better enforcement of child safety standards, and accountability for negligence leading to loss of life.
The tragic death of the toddler underscores persistent concerns about child safety, institutional failure, and weak enforcement of safety regulations in private learning environments across Nigeria.
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