Tag: Sylvester Oromoni..

Sylvester Oromoni: Dowen College principal weeps at coroner inquest

The Principal of Dowen College, Lagos, Mrs Adebisi Layiwola, on Tuesday wept before an Ikeja Corona’s Court while narrating how the death of a 12-year-old student, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., was relayed to her.

The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, had to stand down proceedings for 10 minutes to enable the principal to pull herself together.

Layiwola said that she got the news of the student’s death while in the process of investigating an allegation that the deceased was bullied by some senior students.

“When the uncle of the deceased came to the school, we were still in the process of the investigation.

“He received a call from the sister of the deceased in my presence, that the deceased’s case had taken a bad turn.

“It was not long, he received another call that the boy had passed on,” she said.

At this point in her testimony, the Dowen College principal broke down in tears and the coroner ordered a 10-minute break.

Earlier, Layiwola, who has been the principal of the school for four years, told the court during cross-examination by counsel to the Oromoni family, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), that there was no cult in the school.

“On the cult allegation, there is no cult in the school.

“In October, I was informed that the deceased was told to describe the nudity of his sister by some students.

“We called the students who were involved but we did not really talk to them about being in a cult. We spoke to them on the issue of bullying.

“On the issue of private part description, we set up a panel to investigate and make a recommendation.

“Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the boy in question was given an internal suspension, internal work for two weeks.

“He was made to apologise to the sister and the deceased. He also went for counselling,” she said.

Falana asked if the witness asked the students whether they gave the deceased a substance to drink.

She said: “I did not ask them.”

“Would you be surprised that a black substance was found in the deceased body?” Falana asked.

The witness responded: “I would not be surprised because I am not a pathologist.”

Falana further enquired if the witness was aware that some parents had withdrawn their children from the school because of bullying allegations.

“No. I cannot remember,” she said.

Falana also asked Layiwola if she was aware that a parent came to Maroko Police Station to complain that her son was bullied.

Responding, she said: “Yes it is true. The boy has been withdrawn after Sylvester’s case, and the boy that bullied him was expelled after the death of the deceased.”

The witness also testified that she did not see the deceased until Nov. 23, 2021, adding that the condition of his health necessitated his admission at the school’s sickbay, with medical personnel treating him.

“The medical doctor told me the deceased had pain in the hip. I was not in school on Nov. 21 and 22, 2021. As a principal, I work with different competent people.

“I did not see the deceased on those two days because I was not given a report on him immediately and his case was not critical,” she said.

Following Layiwola’s evidence, counsel to Dowen College, Mr Anthony Kpokpo, informed the court that the principal was the last witness from the school.

The coroner adjourned proceedings until March 7 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)

Oromoni died on Nov. 30, 2021. His family is alleging that he died from injuries he sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College, for refusing to join a cult.

The family also alleges that the late student was forced to drink an obnoxious substance by his attackers.

Advice by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions released on Jan. 4, however, disputed the allegations.

It stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

March 1, 2022
Sylvester Oromoni: Dowen College installs CCTV cameras

Mr Ahmed Ayomo, a teacher and houseparent at Dowen College, Lagos, has disclosed that Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras are being installed following the death of a 12-year-old student, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr.

He made this known on Monday before an Ikeja Corona’s Court unravelling the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.

Recall that Sylvester Oromoni died on Nov. 30, 2021.

His family is alleging that he died from injuries he sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for refusing to join a cult.

The family also alleges that the late student was forced to drink an obnoxious substance by his attackers.

Advice by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions released on Jan. 4, however, disputed the allegations.

It stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

Ayomo, an Islamic Studies Teacher, who has been employed by Dowen College for 13 years, made the disclosure while answering questions from the Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri.

Ayomo, who served as a guardian to the late student, also told the court that, to ensure the safety and security of students, additional apartments for houseparents were being built on each block of hostels in the college.

Regarding the bullying allegation, Ayomo said that he was not aware of the school management took any disciplinary action against the student that asked the deceased to describe the private part of his elder sister.

“The Assistant Director of the hostel, Mr Valentine, punished the student for the act but I am not aware if the management as a whole took any disciplinary action against him,” he said.

Kadiri asked, “ As a father if it were you, how would you feel? Would you still have confidence in the school?”

Ayomo responded that he would not feel happy but he would still have confidence in the school.

Earlier, while being cross-examined by counsel to the Oromoni family, Mr Andrew Efole, the witness said that the late student never complained to him about some senior students demanding his provisions.

Efole, referencing to the statements of witnesses to the police, disputed Ayomo’s claim.

He said that he was aware that the deceased informed the teacher about some senior students wanting to take his provisions from him.

Efole enquired again if the deceased ever complained to Ayomo, as his house parent, that his provisions were being taken away by some senior students.

The witness then replied in the affirmative.

“If I confront you with a document to the effect that he complained to you, would you want the court to regard you as a witness that lacks integrity?

“I want to refer the court to a statement made by the witness dated Dec.12, 2021, at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Yaba, Lagos.

“It reads: ‘Sylvester Oromoni was well known to me as his houseparent. He complained that some people were begging him for his provisions, that he would like to keep the provisions in my house for protection’.

“This statement was written by you,” Efole said.

The witness replied in the affirmative, noting that it was his document.

Questioning Ayomo further, Efole asked, ” As a houseparent, can you tell the court when the principal became aware that the boy was sick?”

Responding, Ayomo said: ” On Nov. 23 2021, I went to the principal to collect an exit card from the principal for the deceased. On Nov. 28, the principal became aware of the deceased’s sickness.

“On Nov. 27 2021, I called the mother to ask about the deceased. She said they were in a church.

“On Nov. 28, 2021, I called the principal and said that one of the boys was at home and he was staying too long, and I gave the mother’s number to the principal.

“As the principal was talking with the mother, the deceased was screaming.

“The mother told the principal that they were massaging his body, the principal prayed for him,” the witness said.

The coroner adjourned proceedings until Feb. 28 for the continuation of the hearing.

February 28, 2022
No medical test was conducted on Oromoni at Dowen College – Doctor

A medical doctor at Dowen College, Dr Mojisola Bisiriyu, on Tuesday told an Ikeja Corona’s Court that no medical test was conducted on the late student of the school, Sylvester Oromoni, before he was taken home on health grounds.

Bisiriyu, the resident doctor at Dowen College, qualified as a medical doctor in 2007.

She told the court that he had been working with the school for five years.

Bisiriyu made the disclosure while being cross-examined by counsel to Oromoni Family, Mr Femi Falana (SAN).

“No test was conducted on him because, from my assessment, the deceased’s case warranted not taking him to the hospital.

“The school policy states that parents must be informed whenever their children are sick because some parents have specific hospitals they want to take their children to.

“We only refer serious cases to the school hospital which is Lifeline Children Hospital in Lekki, Lagos, and it is a three-minute drive from the school.

“I did not refer the deceased to the school hospital because his case was not an emergency one,” she said.

Bisiriyu, who said her job was to attend to the medical needs of the students and alerting parents if need be, testified that the deceased had pains on his right thigh.

“The deceased came to the sick bay with leg pain. I have my office at the sick bay and I saw the deceased on Nov. 22, 2021, after I had gone for COVID-19 routine checkup.

“His leg was massaged on my instruction by a nurse. On Nov. 23, 2021, he told me he still had pain on his right thigh.”

She, however, said that when she saw the student being assisted by his guardian into a car to go home, she advised that he should be taken to a hospital.

“However, I did not give them a referral note to another hospital,” she said.

Questioning Bisiriyu further, Falana said “Dr Soyemi, a pathologist, said that all the deceased needed was a dose of antibiotics and he would be fine.

“Why didn’t you apply antibiotics on the deceased?”

Responding, Bisiriyu said: “As a medical doctor, you do not go ahead administering antibiotics without proper checkup.

“In this instance, there was no temperature, no fever. We are not a hospital and we are not allowed to run tests,” she said.

The doctor said that she was unaware of the allegation that the deceased had a twisted tongue in April 2021 and had to be taken home from the school.

The witness also said that she did not notice any scalding of the student’s lips on Nov. 23, 2021.

The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri adjourned proceedings until Feb. 28 for continuation of hearing.

It was alleged by the Oromoni family that the 12-year-old student died on Nov. 30, 2021, from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for refusing to join a cult.

It was also alleged that he was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.

Advice by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions released on Jan. 4, however, disputed the allegations.

It stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

February 22, 2022
Oromoni’s death: Some Dowen College parents hindered investigation – Police

CSP Bamidele Olusegun on Tuesday told an Ikeja Coroner’s Court that parents of some Dowen College students hindered investigation into the death of 12-year-old student of the school, Sylvester Oromoni.

Olusegun, who works at the Homicide Section of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, told the court that the parents hindered the investigation by refusing to release their wards for interrogation.

Olusegun, the Lead Investigating Officer of the case, made the claim at the continuation of his cross-examination before the court.

While responding to a question from the Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, Olusegun said that three roommates of the deceased were not released by their parents due to fear of trauma.

Olusegun also said that investigation into the death was not comprehensive due to unavailability of the three roommates of the deceased.

“Having not been able to interview the remaining three students, I can say the investigation was not comprehensive.

“There were four bunks of eight students in the deceased’s room and we (police) were given all the names of the roommates of the deceased.

“We, however, succeeded in interrogating four out of the seven roommates.

“This is because some of the parents said their children were going through trauma,” he said.

Responding to a question by Mr Anthony Kpokpo, counsel to Dowen College, as to how many students confirmed that the deceased was beaten, Olusegun said, ‘None.’

“All the students at the police station said the alleged beating never happened,” he said.

The witness added that investigation into the death did not reveal anything against house masters at Dowen College.

It was alleged by the Oromoni family that the 12-year-old student died on Nov. 30, 2021, from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for refusing to join a cult.

It was also alleged that he was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.

Advice by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions released on Jan. 4, however, disputed the allegation.

It stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

The coroner adjourned proceedings until Feb. 28.

February 22, 2022
Sylvester Oromoni’s death: Police affirm DPP indicted Dowen College

A policeman, CSP Bamidele Olusegun has said Dowen College was initially indicted in the first legal advice issued by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over the death of 12-year-old student, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr.

Olusegun, who is serving with the Homicide Section of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos, stated this on Monday while testifying before an Ikeja Coroner’s Court.

While under cross-examination by counsel to the Oromoni family, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), the policeman said he had received interim legal advice from the DPP dated Dec. 30, 2021, which recommended that the school and its staff should be prosecuted for alleged negligence.

Falana showed the witness a copy of the interim report and requested that he should read the last paragraph of the document.

Reading it aloud, he said: “There are sufficient facts to establish this offence against Mrs Celina Uduak, Valentine Igboekweze, Hammed Ayomo Bariyu, Adesanya Olusegun and Mr Adeyemi and Dowen College.”

The witness also noted he received another legal advice dated Jan 4., which had exonerated Dowen College of involvement in the death of the deceased.

The witness affirmed that he conducted a thorough investigation on the matter and he was aware that the police had protested that they were not allowed to conclude their investigations on the case due to the issuance of the Jan. 4 DPP advice.

Olusegun identified a copy of the protest letter written to the Chief Judge of Lagos State by the police shown to him by Falana.

A portion of the letter, read aloud by the witness in the court, stated that: “It came as a rude shock that the investigation was not allowed to be carried out.”

He also said the suspects were not brought back to the police station for the conclusion of the investigation.

“During investigation, one of the suspects informed me that the deceased was bullied.

“Another one also told me that he was taken to the third floor to be tortured,” he said.

When asked if any of the suspects had informed him that the deceased was injured on Nov. 14, 2021, Olusegun said he did not have any recollection.

The policeman told the inquest that the sister of the deceased told him that her late brother was also bullied sometime in October 2021 and that the boy who allegedly bullied him was not punished for the act.

“She also confirmed to me that they bullied her brother because they wanted him to described her private parts.

“I wouldn’t know the deceased was taken to the sick bay in October when he was bullied,” he said.

Olusegun confirmed during the cross-examination that a female parent had also reported that her son was bullied by some Dowen College students at the Maroko Police Station.

Earlier, the witness narrated to the Coroner’s Court how he investigated the case.

He said: “On Dec. 3, 2021, a petition forwarded to my office was assigned to me; Dowen College was already closed down then.

“On Dec. 6, 2021, we were at Maroko Police Station, where we met the school principal, and the suspects.

“We took them down to Panti and obtained statements from the accused and the other management staff.

“We then proceeded to a Yaba Magistrates’ Court to get a Remand Order. The House Masters were detained with us while the children were remanded at the Oregun Correctional Home.”

Olusegun said the statement of Mr Sylvester Oromoni Snr, the father of the deceased student, was taken on Dec. 9, 2021.

He noted that the Lagos State Attorney-General and the Lagos State Commissioner for Education were put on the phone when the parties were interrogated.

“I recollect that I went to Warri to bring the corpse to Lagos and I had an interaction with the doctor and the Consultant Pathologists.

“We arrived in Lagos on Jan.13 with the corpse while the autopsy was performed the next day but before then, letters were dispatched to the parties asking them to be in attendance or send representatives during the autopsy.

“I later proceeded to Abuja to speak with one of the witnesses. I also recollect that we visited the school on a fact-finding mission and it was opened to us.

“I remember that the doctor at the school hospital; Dr Moji confirmed that she attended to the deceased between Nov. 21 and 22 2021.

“She confirmed to me that she asked the nurse to massage the deceased’s legs and that paracetamol was also administered on him,” he said.

When asked if the school had CCTV cameras, he said: “Absolutely no, there were no CCTV cameras in the school.”

The Director of the Lagos State DPP, Dr Babajide Martins, and counsel to Dowen College, Mr Anthony Kpokpo, representing Dowen School, informed the inquest that they were not previously served copies of the legal advice with which Falana had cross-examined the witness.

Kpokpo said: “It has become a part of the deceased family to present documents that have not been front-loaded.

“We will not be able to continue with the cross-examination as a result of the surprises being pulled on us. This is regrettable.”

It was alleged by the Oromoni family that 12-year-old student had died on Nov. 30, 2021 from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for allegedly refusing to join a cult.

It was also alleged that he was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.

The Lagos State DPP’s advice released on Jan. 4 disputed the allegation stating that an autopsy had revealed the cause of Oromoni’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, adjourned proceedings until Feb. 22 for the continuation of cross-examination.

February 21, 2022
Why we took videos of Sylvester Oromoni during sickness – Father

Mr Sylvester Oromoni Snr. on Tuesday told an Ikeja Coroner’s Court that viral videos showing his late son, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., in a critical health condition, were meant for church testimony.

Oromoni Snr. made the disclosure during cross-examination at an inquest to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of the 12-year-old Dowen College student.

“Those videos were made to give testimony in court. If God had made him survive, we would have used them to give thanksgiving and testimonies of what the boy went through,” he said.

Oromoni Snr. was responding to a question from Mr Godwin Omoaka (SAN), counsel to one of the accused Dowen College students.

The witness said that the late student was taken to the family church, God’s Grace Ministry International, Warri, Delta, on Nov. 29, 2021, for a one-hour deliverance session.

He told the inquest that he accepted the interim report of an autopsy conducted by Dr Clement Vhriterhire of the Central Hospital Warri, Delta, which stated that his son was assaulted and poisoned.

“Since the boy said so before he died, and there is evidence supporting it, I accept it if that is the content of the report,” he said.

The witness testified that he was aware that one of his daughters, Annabel Oromoni, was behind the leaking of the interim autopsy report to the press.

Oromoni Snr., however, disputed an allegation that his son was brought in DOA (Dead on Arrival) to Vicar Clinic, Warri, Delta, on Nov. 30, 2021.

He added that his son never had scalded lips in the past. He also disputed an allegation made by Omoaka that his son’s leg was massaged at the family home in Warri, Delta.

“I only called someone who knows about massages to examine the leg and not massage it,” he said.

While being cross-examined by counsel to Dowen College, Mr Anthony Kpokpo, Oromoni Snr. said that the family doctor, Aghogho Owhojede, never informed him on Nov. 26, 2021, that his son had an enlarged liver.

“A nurse called from school on Monday evening that my son needed medical attention. It was the first time the school ever called me for that.

“It is a lie that the school had called me in the past to come and pick up my son for having a twisted tongue and a scalded mouth,” he said.

It was alleged that the 12-year-old student died on Nov. 30, 2021, from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for refusing to join a cult.

It was also alleged that he was forced to drink an obnoxious substance by his attackers

Advice by Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions released on Jan. 4, however, disputed the allegations.

It stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis

The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, adjourned proceedings until Feb. 21 for continuation of cross-examination.

February 16, 2022
Oromoni Snr. alleges cover-up by govt, police

Mr Sylvester Oromoni Snr., father of the late Dowen College student, has made allegations of a cover-up between the Nigerian Police Force and Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.

Oromoni Snr. made the allegations on Tuesday at an Ikeja Coroner’s Court, while being cross-examined by Mr Akin George, Counsel to Lagos State Government.

Oromomi Snr. raised questions about why the five senior students of Dowen College, who allegedly bullied his son, were exonerated and released by the DPP’s advice 14 days into the 21-day remand order given by a Yaba Magistrates’ Court.

He noted that the Magistrate Court had given the 21-day remand order to give the police time to carry out investigations into the matter.

The witness, who was very emotional and often breaking down in tears during his testimony, questioned the timing of the release of the five students by the DPP.

Oromomi Snr. said: “There is a massive cover-up and it is clearly here (in the police report).

”A Magistrates’ Court in Yaba requested 21days and after the 14 day, the boys were granted bail when the police were not done with their investigations.

“When I saw the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (Hakeem Odumosu) and told him about it, he told me that, that was not true that they were not done with their investigations.

“He even said that on the day it was said that they had released those boys, the courts were not sitting.

”I then called the Deputy Commissioner of Police, he told me the same thing and told me to give him sometime.

“After about two to four minutes, he called me back and he confirmed it, that they were given 21days for their investigations and the boys had just spent 14 days in detention.

“They (police) said they were going to write a protest letter. They were already interrogating two of the students and revelations were coming out so they were taken by surprise.

“The same Commissioner of Police, after some days now publicly declared that at the instance of Mr Governor, the Attorney-General and the DPP, said there was nothing wrong with the boys therefore they’ve released them.”

Oromoni Snr said that Odumosu had addressed the public during the 2021 Christmas public holidays and that there were only three working days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) that week.

“At what point did they complete their investigation, give all the case files to the DPP to go through and the DPP to come up with their report?

“This is why I am saying there is a very massive conspiracy going on,” he said.

Earlier during proceedings, George said that, according to the Police reports, the eyewitnesses at the school denied that Oromoni Jnr was beaten in his room.

Reading an excerpt of the report, he said: “Furthermore, the allegation of putting off the light, bullying and beating him could not be proven as eyewitnesses denied that such incident ever happened.”

The five students of Dowen College were remanded in a juvenile home after they were charged with conspiracy and homicide over the death of their 12-year-old schoolmate by Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun Adeola, on Dec. 9, 2021.

On Dec. 21, 2021, Adeola granted the Dowen College students bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

The Lagos State DPP advice released on Jan. 4, disputed the allegations that Oromoni’s death was caused by injuries resulting from bullying.

The DPP advice noted that an autopsy revealed Oromoni’s cause of death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

Coroner to subpoena more witnesses

Meanwhile, the Ikeja Coroner’s Court has said it will subpoena more witnesses in the quest to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of the 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lagos, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr.

The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, made the disclosure at the conclusion of proceedings on Tuesday, noting that the inquest is a fact-finding exercise and a lot of questions would need to be answered.

The witnesses to be summoned by the coroner include roommates of the late student at Dowen College, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) of the case in Warri, Delta, and a Dowen College nurse that attended to the late student.

Other witnesses to be subpoenaed include a family friend of the Oromonis, Chief Opudu Boro, two independent pathologists which will include a Forensic Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa.

The coroner will also invite the medical doctor who performed the first autopsy on the late student in Warri, Dr Clement Vhriterhire, and students who allegedly played football with the deceased in school during which he sustained an ankle injury.

It was alleged that the student died on Nov. 30, 2021, from injuries he sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for refusing to join a cult.

It was also alleged that he was forced to drink an obnoxious substance by his attackers.

Advice by Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, which was released on Jan. 4, however, disputed the allegations.

It stated that an autopsy revealed Oromoni’s cause of death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

Kadiri adjourned proceedings until Feb. 21 for the continuation of hearing.

February 15, 2022
Sylvester Oromoni: Father reveals deceased was not taken to hospital

Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, the late Dowen College Student who was alleged by his family to have sustained injuries as a result of bullying by five senior students of the college was not treated at a hospital.

Mr Sylvester Oromoni Snr, the father of late Oromoni Jnr made the revelation on Monday before an Ikeja Coroner’s Inquest while being cross-examined by the counsel to one of the accused students, Mr Godwin Omoaka (SAN).

Oromoni Snr, standing as a witness told the inquest that his son was treated at home in Warri, Delta State, after the Oromoni family doctor, Dr Aghogho Owhojede, had said there was no private ward available in his hospital.

He gave a timeline of events from when Oromoni Jnr was brought home from school by his guardian, Mr Clifford Tejere, on Nov. 23, 2021 from school.

He said Tejere did not notice any sign of beating on the body of the deceased and that no swollen spot was noticed on the ankle of the late student, where it was alleged by the school that he had sustained a football injury.

The witness noted that a full body x-ray was not conducted by the family when he came home from school.

“There was an x-ray conducted on the part the school wanted us to do, which was the legs down. He was taken to a diagnostic centre,” Oromoni Snr said.

The father of the deceased revealed that his son was not taken to the hospital on Nov. 24, 2021 by the family and that he arrived Lagos from Delta at 6.00 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2021 after he was alerted by his family that his son was in a critical state.

He revealed that after he arrived Lagos, he took his son back to Dowen College, arriving at the school at 7. 00 p.m. to pack his belongings.

He said on Nov. 26, 2021, he left for Warri, Delta, with his son and arrived in the evening and that Oromoni Jnr was not taken to the hospital on that day.

“On Nov. 26, 27 and 28 2021, he was treated in my house on doctor’s directives.

“On Nov. 29, he was taken to St Louis Laboratory for a scan. We were referred by the doctor to go there.

“I was not there on that day because I had rushed to my house in Asaba, Delta to pick up something and I came back the next morning, which is Nov. 30, 2021.

“He died on Nov. 30, 2021; I was already in Warri when he died. I was in the hospital when the doctor confirmed to us that he did not make it,” he said.

The witness further revealed that after Oromoni Jnr was confirmed dead, the family wanted to bury him immediately.

“From the clinic, they were taking him for burial. I called them and they brought him back in the Hilux that they were using to convey him and they parked in front of my gate.

“The police came and took pictures and videos of the body and after that they asked me to take him to the mortuary and not bury him,” he said.

Following the revelation of the witness, Omoaka requested that a series of interviews Oromoni Snr had granted to the press (Arise TV, the Punch Newspapers and BBC Pidgin) be played at the inquest.

In the various footage, the witness was alleging that his son was dragged, severely beaten, his stomach stumped upon by some senior students of the school.

Responding to more questions, Oromoni Snr revealed that he had never been to his son’s hostel at Dowen College.

He, however, accepted that other students would have heard his son cry out if he was being beaten by alleged bullies.

The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, adjourned proceedings until Feb. 15 for continuation of the cross-examination.

Twelve-year-old Oromoni died on Nov. 30, 2021 from injuries sustained in an alleged attack by five senior students of Dowen College for allegedly refusing to join a cult.

It was also alleged that he was forced to drink an obnoxious substance by his attackers.

The Lagos State DPP Advice released on Jan. 4 disputed the allegation stating that two autopsies revealed the cause of Oromoni’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

February 14, 2022
Oromoni was treated at home, not taken to the hospital – Father reveals

Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, the late Dowen College Student who was alleged by his family to have sustained injuries as a result of bullying by five senior students of the college was not treated at a hospital.

Mr Sylvester Oromoni Snr, the father of late Oromoni Jnr made the revelation on Monday before an Ikeja Coroner’s Inquest while being cross-examined by the counsel to one of the accused students, Mr Godwin Omoaka (SAN).

The witness told the inquest that his son was treated at home in Warri, Delta, after the Oromoni family doctor, Dr Aghogho Owhojede, had said there was no private ward available in his hospital.

He gave a timeline of events from when Oromoni Jnr was brought home from school by his guardian, Mr Clifford Tejere, on Nov. 23, 2021 from school.

He said Tejere did not notice any sign of beating on the body of the deceased and that no swollen spot was noticed on the ankle of the late student, where it was alleged by the school that he had sustained a football injury.

The witness noted that a full body x-ray was not conducted by the family when he came home from school.

“There was an x-ray conducted on the part the school wanted us to do, which was the legs down. He was taken to a diagnostic centre,” Oromoni Snr said.

The father of the deceased revealed that his son was not taken to the hospital on Nov. 24, 2021 by the family and that he arrived Lagos from Delta at 6.00 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2021 after he was alerted by his family that his son was in a critical state.

He revealed that after he arrived Lagos, he took his son back to Dowen College, arriving at the school at 7. 00 p.m. to pack his belongings.

He said on Nov. 26, 2021, he left for Warri, Delta, with his son and arrived in the evening and that Oromoni Jnr was not taken to the hospital on that day.

“On Nov. 26, 27 and 28 2021, he was treated in my house on doctor’s directives.

“On Nov. 29, he was taken to St Louis Laboratory for a scan. We were referred by the doctor to go there.

“I was not there on that day because I had rushed to my house in Asaba, Delta to pick up something and I came back the next morning, which is Nov. 30, 2021.

“He died on Nov. 30, 2021; I was already in Warri when he died. I was in the hospital when the doctor confirmed to us that he did not make it,” he said.

The witness further revealed that after Oromoni Jnr was confirmed dead, the family wanted to bury him immediately.

“From the clinic, they were taking him for burial. I called them and they brought him back in the Hilux that they were using to convey him and they parked in front of my gate.

“The police came and took pictures and videos of the body and after that they asked me to take him to the mortuary and not bury him,” he said.

Following the revelation of the witness, Omoaka requested that a series of interviews Oromoni Snr had granted to the press (Arise TV, the Punch Newspapers and BBC Pidgin) be played at the inquest.

In the various footage, the witness was alleging that his son was dragged, severely beaten, his stomach stumped upon by some senior students of the school.

Responding to more questions, Oromoni Snr revealed that he had never been to his son’s hostel at Dowen College.

He, however, accepted that other students would have heard his son cry out if he was being beaten by alleged bullies.

The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, adjourned proceedings until Feb. 15 for continuation of the cross-examination.

The 12-year-old Oromoni died on Nov. 30, 2021 from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for allegedly refusing to join a cult.

It was also alleged that he was forced to drink an obnoxious substance by his attackers.

The Lagos State DPP Advice released on Jan. 4 disputed the allegation stating that two autopsies revealed the cause of Oromoni’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

February 14, 2022
Graphic autopsy photos of late Dowen student shown at coroner’s inquest

Over a hundred graphic autopsy photographs of late Sylvester Oromoni, a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, were on Tuesday shown at an Ikeja Coroner’s Court set up to unravel the circumstances surrounding his demise.

The photographs were displayed on a projector during the testimony of Dr Sunday Soyemi, the pathologist who led the team that conducted a second autopsy on Dec. 14, 2022 on the deceased.

The first autopsy was conducted on Dec. 2, 2021 by Dr Clement Vhriterhire, a Consultant Pathologist with Central Hospital Warri, Delta.

The photographs showed the corpse of the deceased on an autopsy table at the Lagos State University Hospital (LASUTH). The corpse had visible incisions from the first autopsy.

The pathologist was led in evidence by Dr Jide Martins, the Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Throwing some light during a slideshow of photographs of body parts of the deceased, Soyemi said: “On his right thigh was the embalmment site and an injury was shown on his right ankle.

“On the back of his left wrist appears to be a circular bruise. On the right side of his face, above the right eyebrow is what looks like a C-shaped incision.

“This was done during an attempt to remove the brain at the first autopsy. It is a postmortem injury.

“There’s a recent external injury on the right lower limb. This is where we saw the Pyelonephritis (infection). It was never mentioned in the first autopsy.

“The marks on the chin are postmortem injuries acquired after death.”

Shedding light on a photograph of late Oromoni’s heart and lungs, the pathologist said the organs should have been separated at the first autopsy.

“The two lungs should have been severed and weighed, likewise the heart.

“I made several incisions on the lungs and I found areas that showed consolidation which means lobal pneumonia,” he said.

The pathologist said samples were taken from the lungs of the deceased and taken to a laboratory for testing.

“We looked at it under the microscope and we confirmed that lobal pneumonia.

“When I opened the heart, no pathology (illness) was found. This is a photograph of the liver, I was trying to remove the gall bladder which was not removed at the first autopsy, there are many reasons why the gall bladder must be removed.

“I made several cuts to the liver and sent to the lab and it showed he had hepatitis, an infection of the liver,” he said.

Soyemi noted that the kidney was also not dissected during the first autopsy and that when parts of the kidney were examined at the laboratory, it was shown to have an infection called pyelonephritis.

He noted that the intestines were not opened during the first autopsy and that when he examined the intestines, it was not damaged but that it contained a blackish substance which was probably what the deceased had injested.

“I checked for deep bruising through the process called skinning. There was skinning of the back to check for deep bruising and none were found.

“If he was physically assaulted, the exposed areas will show haemorrhage.

“There is reddening in the lower parts of the legs, this shows that the embalming fluid did not get to that part. The body was not properly embalmed.

“The ankles have been opened and we can see brown discoloration. A section was taken from that part and it was bringing out pus,” he said.

The pathologist said he opened the skull and examined the brain of the deceased. He noticed that the brain was very pale and did not contain enough blood.

He also showed the inquest, radiographs of the total body x-ray performed on the corpse prior to the autopsy.

Soyemi said the x-ray was performed to determine if there were any fractures or skeletal injuries on the deceased. He noted that none were found.

Giving his findings, the pathologist said “death was ascribed to a generalised infection known as septicemia.

“We were able to identify the source and it could not be treated. What could have been used in treating the deceased is a massive dose of intravenous antibiotics, intravenous fluids and blood transfusions.”

Following the testimony of the pathologist, counsel for Dowen College, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the accused Dowen College students waived their rights to be served copies of the autopsy photographs.

“We will rely on the records of the court. We do not want to be a part of any possible leakage of these sensitive documents,” Mr Anthony Kpokpo, the counsel for Dowen College said.

Earlier during proceedings, before the photographs were displayed, the DPP informed the inquest that copies of the photographs were not served on all the parties to the proceedings.

“We tendered the photographs to the court but we did not serve other parties due to the confidentiality of the deceased,” Martins said.

Counsel for the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Bernard Oniga, in his submission pleaded for confidentiality of the photographs and urged counsel present to not release the photographs to social media.

The pathologist also pleaded that the photographs should not be released.

“If those photos should get to social media, the Medical and Dental Council will sanction me due to a breach in doctor, patient confidentiality,” Soyemi said.

Counsel for the Oromoni family, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), assured Soyemi that he would not be sanctioned.

“As a former counsel to the Medical and Dental Council, court proceedings are exempted by the council. You are protected,” he said

The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, adjourned proceedings until Feb. 6 for the continuation of the evidence of the father of the deceased.

February 9, 2022