The Lagos state government has denied speculation that 12-year-old Dowen College Lekki student Sylvester Oromoni Junior was beaten and forced to drink a poisonous substance by his elders, allegedly leading to his death in November. of 2021. saying that there could be no prosecution for lack of substantial evidence.
Therefore, the government has advised the police to release those detained in the matter. The suspects included five students: Kenneth Inyang (15 years old), Ansel Temile (14 years old), Edward Begue (16 years old), Michael Kashamu (15 years old) and Benjamin Ikechukwu (16 years old).
Also charged with negligent act that caused harm to the deceased, but are now released by the state, are five members of the school staff; Celena Uduak, Valentine Igbokweze, Hammed Bariyu, Adesanya Olusesan and another who was simply identified as Mr. Adeyemi, and the school itself.
But the school’s leadership has said it will await further instructions from the government before announcing the resumption and making further statements on the matter, saying it also received the news from the DPP council like any Nigerian.
The government said scientific evidence suggests that the deceased died of an ankle ulcer that it noted caused several medical conditions including “septicemia, lobar pneumonia with acute pyelonephritis, pyomyositis of the right ankle, and acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis. “.
This was contained in the advice of the director of the state public prosecution, Adetutu Oshinusi, and directed to the office of the Public Ministry. deputy commissioner of police in charge of the State Intelligence and Criminal Investigation Department (SCIID), Yaba, Lagos.
According to legal advice, there is no substantial evidence to prosecute the suspects in the matter, and that the charge of belonging to a secret cult group could not be established against the suspects.
The principal also wrote that the school and its arrested officers cannot be prosecuted for negligence, saying that the evidence obtained clearly absolves them of guilt.
What the evidence says
In accordance with the advice of the DPP, two autopsy examinations were performed on the deceased, the first is said to have been performed on December 2 at the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta State, by the deceased’s parents, while the second was took place on December 2. on December 14 at the Lagos State University Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
The DPP said the results of both autopsies were in agreement.
It reads in part: “The results of the two post-mortem examinations performed were consistent as to the cause of death, namely: septicemia, lobar pneumonia with acute pyelonephritis, pyomyositis of the right ankle, and acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis. The Toxicology result is not indicative of any toxic or poisonous substance in the body of the deceased ”.
In writing about the fairness and authenticity of the reports, the DPP wrote that, in addition to the one conducted in Delta State by the family, the one conducted at LASUTH was in the presence of pathologists representing the families of the defendants and the deceased.
“On December 13, 2021, the body of the deceased was taken to Lagos for a second post-mortem examination with the consent of the family of the deceased. The second autopsy was performed by a pathologist from the Department of Forensic Pathology of the Lagos State University Hospital (LASUTH) on December 14, 2021 in the presence of the seven (7) pathologists (the pathologist who performed the first autopsy). from the Central Hospital, Warri representing the family of the deceased, another four (4) pathologists representing the family of the suspects and another two (2) pathologists from LASUTH) and three (3) police officers. The pathologist’s interim and complete autopsy reports dated December 21 and 31, 2021 revealed that the cause of death was septicemia, lobar pneumonia with acute pyelonephritis, pyomyositis of the right ankle, ”the report states in part.
On the accusation of cultism
The report indicated that there is no prima facie case established against the suspects, and said that the office “considers that there are not enough facts to establish the crime of belonging to an illegal society against them.”
Sylvester-Oromoni Jnr.
He also added that doing otherwise “would amount to sniffing out a crime and a speculative act that is not allowed by law.”
“It is a trivial law that suspicion, no matter how serious, cannot be grounds for conviction,” concluded the DPP.
The school talks
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, a Dowen College official, who declined to reveal his identity, said it would be too early to talk about the development and urged our reporter to call or call an assistant principal at the school, Jerry Adeyemi.
READ ASLO: Alleged Murder: Court Admits Dowen College Students Free on Bail
“We also just heard the news of the DPP report just like anyone else. So we can’t make any categorical statements for now. We do not know when we will resume until we receive more directives from the state government, ”said the official, who spoke by phone.
Bottom
The Lagos state government ordered the indefinite closure of Dowen College on December 3, 2021 after parents and members of the extended family of 12-year-old Oromoni Junior insisted that their son was killed by seniors. at school.
Students who were writing their first semester exams at the time were asked to abruptly leave school without completing their exams. But reports say the school implemented technology to allow the student to complete their exam online.
The family’s lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, had written to the Lagos State Chief Coroner requesting an investigation into the student’s death.
However, an autopsy performed by the investigators later revealed that the deceased died of “acute lung injury due to chemical poisoning in the setting of blunt trauma.”
The Lagos State Police Command had previously released the headmaster of the house and other Dowen College staff who were arrested in connection with the student’s death.
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