UPDATE: Two Years After, Late Sylvester Oromoni’s Family Insists On Justice As Lagos State Drags Probe, SOn’s Body Remains In Morgue
Exactly two years ago that the death of a 12-year-old pupil of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos State, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, was announced in controversial circumstances, the family is yet to get justice in the matter.
On November, 30, 2021, Sylvester was allegedly tortured to death by some senior students who reportedly wanted to initiate him into a cult group.
Dowen College management dismissed the claim and said that the boy sustained injuries playing football with his friends.
In January 2022, an initial autopsy declared that Oromoni died of “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication” but the result was later discredited. The Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Lagos released a second result ruling that Oromoni died naturally.
The tragic death of Sylvester, which generated condemnation and series of protests by civil society groups and women across the country as well as heated controversies, was yet to yield any positive results two years after, following the dilly-dally and alleged delay tactics by some officials of the Lagos State Government.
But the family of the deceased has vowed to pursue the case of their late son to a logical conclusion no matter how long it will take them to get justice for him.
Marking the two years anniversary of their son’s brutal and untimely demise, father of the deceased, Sylvester Oromoni Snr disclosed that as a family, they would not stop crying out for justice for their son, adding that he was compelled to take the step as a means to seeking justice, twenty-four months since his son had been in the morgue.
He said:
“I am compelled to take this step as a means to seeking justice, two years since my son has been in the morgue.
As the father of the deceased, I cannot be tired or discouraged from pursuing justice as I have promised my son to get him justice even if it will take thirty years to achieve it.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, makes it two year since the demise of my son and the body is still in the morgue, yet to be buried. May the soul of Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr.) and all departed souls rest in perfect peace. Amen.”
Recalled that, Oromoni family had in a statement to observe a one year memorial to mark the one year untimely demise of their son by the family, issued in Warri, Delta State, last year November 30, also demanded for justice.
In the statement signed by the deceased father, the family threatened that if the inquest was not concluded before the end of 2022, they shall be compelled to withdraw from it in order to take a different legal step to seek justice.
According to the family,
“The Legal Advice earlier issued by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, Ministry of Justice, Lagos state indicted Dowen College and some of its staff and recommended them for prosecution under Section 252 of the Criminal Law (C17) Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State 2015.
Notwithstanding this Advice, these individuals indicted are still working freely while the body of the deceased continues to lie in the morgue.
With the effort of the honourable coroner and the cooperation of several parents particularly the parents of the two witnesses who came from Abuja to testify on the 14th November, 2022, the coroner thereafter adjourned proceedings to 21st November 2022 for Dowen College to produce the two remaining witnesses from the school.
Today, the 30th of November 2022 makes it a year since the demise of my son and the body is still in the morgue, yet to be buried. This one-year memorial being held today is to tell Nigerians and the entire world about the current position of the inquest and the antics of Dowen College.
I am equally aware that some civil society organizations and NGOs in Abuja and Lagos are equally observing the one-year memorial today to mark his one-year untimely demise. May the soul of Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr.) and all departed souls rest in perfect peace. Amen.”