An autopsy has revealed late Sylvester Oromoni died of “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication in a background of blunt force trauma.”
Gatekeepers News reports that Oromoni, a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, was allegedly beaten by some senior students who tried to initiate him into a cult group in the school, and he eventually died on November 30, 2021, after efforts to save his life failed.
The deceased father had maintained that his son was beaten and fed a liquid chemical, but Dowen College had dismissed the claim, saying the boy sustained injuries while playing football with his colleagues.
An autopsy carried out by Clement Vhriterhire, a consultant pathologist at the Central Hospital Warri, says ‘chemical intoxication’ was the cause of Sylvester’s death.
The State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had ordered a probe while Dowen College was sealed off.
Odumosu, however, in a press briefing on Friday, said the school housemaster and other staff of Dowen College involved in the case had been released since the court order to remand them had expired.
He also said that the police had concluded its investigations, forwarded its report to the directorate of public prosecutions (DPP), and had received a response.
“The corpse was brought from Delta to Lagos. The post-mortem was carried out in Lagos. The result is out. As of now, it has not brought out the issue of murder on anybody (sic),” he was quoted as saying.
“Toxicology is still to be carried out, which is the final one. The interim one has not.
“Based on that, the court order we got has elapsed, and we have released the housemaster and others on bail as of yesterday because they have not been indicted of murder. It is only murder cases that are not subject to bail.
“Since the medical report has not indicted them so far, I think there is a need for them to have their freedom because bail is not the end of the case.”
Similarly, the court granted bail to five students charged with the alleged murder of Oromoni.
Perry Oromoni, a member of the bereaved family, who spoke to TheCable Lifestyle, kicked against the outcome of the police probe.
He also accused the Lagos police and the government of hoarding the second autopsy result of the corpse.
“The Lagos state government has decided to go in favour of Dowen College Lagos and murderers involved,” he said.
“The Oromoni family has been quiet because we’ve been patiently waiting for the Lagos government to conclude their autopsy and also see how swift they are in carrying our justice for Sylvester.”
See copies of the autopsy report below:
