The father of Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr.), the late 12-year-old student of Dowen College, has reacted to the release of the suspects linked to the murder of his teenage son.
Sylvester was said to have been beaten to death by five senior students of the school on Tuesdays, November 30, 2021, for allegedly refusing to join their cult.
Two months after, the Lagos State Government cleared five students and five employees of Dowen College accused of complicity in the death of 12-year-old Sylvester.
Hours after the move, the father of the deceased, Mr Sylvester Oromoni, said the news did not come to him as a surprise after the students were granted bail even before the stipulated time granted by the courts for the police to carry out their investigation.
Speaking via a phone interview on Wednesday, January 5, 2021, in Delta State, Oromoni said contrary to the results conducted by the Lagos State Government, there was another autopsy carried out by the Delta State Police Command which suggested that his late son may have been fed with harmful chemicals.
He, however, insisted he will not give up and that his family will meet with his lawyers on the way forward.
Meanwhile, Femi Falana, who is also the counsel to the deceased’s family, described the government’s verdict as “escapist and hasty,” insisting that the decision cannot put an end to the matter.
The human rights lawyer insisted that the director of public prosecution (DPP), Adetutu Oshinusi’s order for the release of the suspects, advice “has not laid the allegations surrounding the gruesome murder of Sylvester Oromoni, to rest.”
The renowned activist stated “The report is escapist and hasty as the authorities are aware of the fact that the Chief Coroner of Lagos State has ordered that an inquest be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the unnatural death of Sylvester Oromoni.
The inquest which commenced before the Coroner on December 16, 2021, has been adjourned to January 15, 2022, for further hearing.”
The suspects included five students- Kenneth Inyang (15 years), Ansel Temile (14 years), Edward Begue (16 years), Michael Kashamu (15 years) and Benjamin Ikechukwu (16 years) and five staff of the school accused of the negligent act causing harm to the deceased: Celena Uduak, Valentine Igbokweze, Hammed Bariyu, Adesanya Olusesan and another who was simply identified as Mr Adeyemi, and the school itself.
