Admin l Monday, April 25, 2022
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The coroner inquest into the death of Sylvester Oromoni in Ikeja today turned into a secrete affairs as students of the Dowen College stormed the sitting to say what they know about the incident.
Journalists who have been covering the proceedings had looked forward to this day with expectation that the testimony of the students will unveil what Dowen College is alleged to have covered up in the painful death of 12 year old Sylvester Oromoni, who is yet to be buried.
Till date the black substance found during pathological findings in the body of the deceased is yet to be investigated. At the hearing today, registrar of the court announced that the hearing was mainly for lawyers, and ordered journalists and other interested parties to vacate the courtroom.
We gathered that the court came up the decision to protect the senior students of Dowen College, some of whom are highly connected named in the alleged beating and poisoning of the deceased were to testify.
A representative of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja branch, Mr Benard Oniga also supported the registrar that journalists be prevented from the hearing.
“Journalists will be shut out from covering the inquest this week because minors will be testifying. The witnesses are minors and the purpose is to protect the Child Rights Acts,” he said.
The Oromoni’s family had alleged that the 12-year-old student died on Nov. 30, 2021, from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of the college.
The family also alleged that the deceased was attacked fo his refusal to join a cult and he was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.
Advice by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) 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.
