Father rejects coroner’s verdict on Sylvester Oromoni’s death

Two years after the commencement of the coroner inquest into the death of Dowen College student, Sylvester Oromoni, a judgement has been delivered.

However, the father of the deceased has expressed his displeasure with the verdict.

The deceased, a 12-year-old student who died on November 30, 2021, was alleged to have been bullied and compelled to drink a poisonous substance.

His parents, who have been seeking justice, also reported that five senior students of the school beat their son to a pulp, leading to his untimely death.

Magistrate Mikhail Kadri sitting in Ogba, Ikeja area of Lagos State, on Monday, April 15, 2024, delivered a judgment on his report on the inquest, stating that contrary to what was alleged, Oromoni died as a result of failed treatment for his enlarged liver.

Yesterday, the Coroner Inquest that looked into the findings of the death of Oromoni Jnr, exonerated Dowen College and the five students who were accused of bullying, beating, and forcing the deceased to drink a substance that allegedly caused his death. Rather, it indicted the deceased’s parents and family doctor of negligence.

“The alleged suspects played no part in Sylvester’s death but were victims of their past misdeeds. They were falsely accused, and no staff of Dowen College played any role in the death. The school has improved its facilities since the incident.

“The claims of chemical intoxication were never proven, and the faces of those allegedly bullying the deceased weren’t seen. The alleged confession of Sylvester was denied by several witnesses. Even if he was beaten, it didn’t lead to his death,” Kadri stated as he cleared the accused.

The magistrate said that the deceased played football on November 20, 2021, and his leg was massaged by his roommates and the school nurse.

Magistrate Kadiri, who conducted the inquest while revealing his findings, maintained that the death was avoidable.

In his reaction, Sylvester Oromoni Snr, the father of the deceased, stated that it was not the end of the case, as the medical expert did not give them a concluding result of the black substance that was found in their son’s stomach.

“They said they saw a substance inside the body of the deceased. Was it tested, it wasn’t tested. This is not the end of the case. As far as I am concerned it does not represent a true proceeding of the evidence taken,” he said.

When asked about his next action and if he would appeal the judgment, he said, “Don’t worry, I will consult my lawyer.

“If you send a child to school, a distant school, who is to take care of the child in the school? Is it not the principal and the doctor of the school?

“if you say that it is the doctor after five days that is supposed to take care of the child and that the doctor here and the school principal are exempted, who is the immediate parent of the boy?” he queried.

The deceased’s family lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), while reacting to the judgment of the Coroner, stated that the coroner ignored the evidence of the government pathologist that the “black substance” found in the stomach of the deceased was not subjected to toxicological examination. The allegation was that the deceased was forced to drink a poisonous substance.