The parents of late Sylvester Oromoni of a pupil of Dowen College, Lagos are not accepting fate yet in seeking the Justice they want over the controversial deaths of their son. The family has applied to the chief coroner of Lagos to seek a review of the verdict delivered by Mikhail Kadiri, a magistrate, after the inquest into the death of Sylvester, their son. Sylvester Oromoni died in controversial circumstances at age 12 on November 30, 2021, while he was a student at Dowen College in Lekki, Lagos.
The boy’s parents alleged that at he was bullied, beaten up, and fed a chemical substance by five of his male colleagues. Dowen College dismissed the claim, insisting that the late student sustained injuries while playing football with friends.
The Oromoni family had countered Dowen College’s claim, insisting their son had no pre-existing health challenges before the incident.
In January 2022, an initial autopsy by Clement Vhriterhire, consultant pathologist at the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta state, established that Sylvester Oromoni died of “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication in a background of blunt force trauma”.
The Lagos Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) conducted a second autopsy which revealed that Oromoni died “naturally” of sepsis. The case went to court for two years and Kadiri adjudged that Dowen College, its students, and officials were faultless in the death of Oromoni.
The coroner affirmed that Oromoni died of sepsis emanating from an infection of the lungs and kidney caused by an ankle injury.
Kadiri attributed Oromoni’s death to parental and medical negligence contrary to the claim of bullying or chemical poisoning.
Femi Falana, counsel to the Oromoni family, said the coroner overlooked some “uncontradicted evidence” while giving his verdict.
The family, in a reaction addressing the state government, accused Kadiri of suppressing evidence in what they termed a “cover-up”.
In a letter sent to the chief coroner of Lagos, as seen by TheCable, the family’s legal representatives sought a review of the verdict.