Saturday, January 15, 2022, has been fixed by the Coroner of the Epe District of Lagos, Magistrate Mikail Olukayode Kadiri, to begin inquest into the cause of death of Dowen college student, Sylvester Oromoni.
According to the coroner in a letter dated January 4, 2022, and addressed to the law firm of Falana and Falana, the counsel to the Oromoni family, the inquest will be carried by 9:00 a.m prompt and the hearing shall be in open court.
Magistrate Kadiri also reminded the lawyers to file and serve depositions of all witnesses they intend to call at the inquest. They are also to forward to the coroner a list of persons whom in their opinion need to be summoned by the court. Magistrate Kadiri also mentioned that the depositions may be filed at any of the magisterial districts in Lagos and served electronically on all parties concerned.
The letter to Falana from the Coroner reads;
”I have the directive of the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Honourable Justice M. A. Dada to remind you that the inquest into the death of Sylvester Oromoni will commence on Saturday, 15th January, 2022 at Magistrate Court No. 4, Epe District, Combined High Court and Magistrate Court of Lagos State, Epe at 9:00am prompt; the hearing shall be in open Court.
You are further reminded to file and serve depositions of all witnesses you intend to call at the inquest and forward a list of persons whom, in your opinion, needs to be summoned by the Court. The depositions may be filed at any of the Magisterial Districts in Lagos State and served electronically on all parties concerned. Please find attached the name, firm/representation and phone numbers of parties that attended the preliminary meeting held on the 16th December, 2021. Thank you.”
Meanwhile, the Investigative Committee set up by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has asked the parents of late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr and Dowen College to make the medical records of the 12-year-old public. It said the records will help to ascertain Oromoni’s health status before the incident at Dowen College happened.
The committee in a statement signed by its chairman, Oladimeji Uthman, also called on the Lagos State government to reject all entreaties to reopen the college, warning that reopening the college before the conclusion of investigations can only be done by an “enemy of humanity”.
The student body also threatened to embark on a state-wide protest, should the government reopen the school anytime soon, pending the clarification of all doubts.
Uthman said the committee is in receipt of the autopsy report conducted by the police, which showed that Oromoni Jnr died of septicaemia, lobar pneumonia with acute pyelonephritis, pyomyositis of the right ankle and acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis. He said the committee wonders why the police have kept the allegations of bullying out of its reports so far and why everyone kept mute on the allegations.
Uthman added that the committee has “contacted a medical expert to make clarifications on how possible knee injury (as claimed by the Dowen College management initially) could develop to those infections mentioned by the police to be the cause of Late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr death.”
“We are dumbfounded, hearing that Sylvester Oromoni Jnr died of those infections. This is the reason we are requesting from the management of Dowen College and Sylvester’s family to release and make public his medical records/history in order to shed more light on this case and also to know if there is any ailments he was treating before his death.
On our part, we will continue to interface with the family, submit the autopsy report for scrutiny (to our medical experts) and make our position known.” Uthman said