Bereaved Mother Of Late Dowen College Student-bullying Victim, Sylvester Oromoni Jr, Dies Two Years After His Tragic Death
Rosemary Oromoni, the mother of the 12-year-old Dowen college student, Sylvester, who died in 2021 as a result of alleged bullying in the school has died.
According to family sources, Mrs Oromoni died in late November after battling with an intermittent blood pressure-related illness.
Mrs Oromoni was reported to have suffered heartbreak and trauma over the loss of her youngest child.
Two years after her son’s passing, she reportedly succumbed to health complications attributed to heartbreak and trauma.
Her demise comes seven months after a special court in Lagos in April this year ruled against her family on a case concerning her son’s death.
The late Sylvester Jnr. was allegedly a victim of severe bullying by senior students in the Lagos-based school, leading to his untimely death.
The family’s ongoing fight for justice has kept their tragic story in the public eye, but the latest loss has left the family in huge shock.
A family source who confirmed her death said:
“For over two years, Mrs. Oromoni endured an overwhelming burden of grief.
According to the source, the emotional toll of losing her son deeply affected her health and she reportedly died on Monday 25, November, 2024.
“Despite medical care and the unwavering support of her family, she struggled to recover. Her sorrow was described as all-consuming, with many observing her inability to eat, sleep, or resume daily life.
“As time passed, her health deteriorated further. Friends and family revealed that Mrs. Oromoni had lost the will to live, with the pain of her son’s death and the ongoing quest for justice taking a devastating toll.
“Her condition worsened until she succumbed to complications on Monday, 25th November 2024.
“Her passing has been met with an outpouring of sorrow and sympathy, with many linking her untimely demise to the unrelenting grief she carried.
“The Oromoni family now faces the daunting task of mourning not only their young son but also a devoted mother whose life was cut short by the weight of her anguish.
“The death of Mrs. Oromoni has reignited public calls for justice for Sylvester Jnr., as supporters rally around the family in their time of need.
“Many see Mrs. Oromoni as a poignant symbol of the devastating impact of unresolved grief and the urgent need to address systemic failings that allow such tragedies to occur.
“As the Oromoni family continues their quest for justice, the memory of both mother and son now stands as a sobering reminder of the profound cost of injustice”,
the family source added.
The Oromonis had accused some students of the school of bullying, beating and feeding their 12-year-old son with a chemical which led to his demise. They dragged the school and the five students to court but the case was subsequently dismissed for lack of evidence.
Dowen College had dismissed the claim, stating that the late student only sustained injuries while playing football with his friends.
The Oromoni family had countered Dowen’s claim, arguing that their son had no pre-existing health challenges before the incident.
In January 2022, an initial autopsy declared that Oromoni Junior died of “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication.” This post-mortem was discredited due to its methods and some dissatisfactions surrounding the parties who witnessed the procedure.
The Lagos Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) conducted a second autopsy which ruled that Oromoni died “naturally”.
The case was under inquiry in a coroner’s court from 2022 until last April when it got a final ruling. The accused boys were cleared by the court and released from the juvenile home in 2022.
The judge, Mikhail Kadiri, held 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” and exonerated the authorities of Dowen College.
The coroner’s verdict also ruled that neither bullying nor chemical poisoning as alleged was responsible for the student’s death.
Late Oromoni was buried on January 27, 2024, after the bereaved family opted to keep his corpse in the morgue as a protest gesture.