Dowen: Family Hires Falana to Seek Justice for Late Oromoni

•Death of 12-year-old heartbreaking, says Lagos first lady

Chiemelie Ezeobi and Segun James

Family of Sylvester Oromoni, a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lagos, allegedly tortured to death by some kid cultists, yesterday, hired human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, as part of efforts to ensure justice and prosecution of the culprits responsible for their son’s death.

Also, wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, while lamenting the death of Sylvester, described the unfortunate incident as heartbreaking.

Oromoni, a junior secondary school two student of Dowen College, Lagos, allegedly died after some senior students bullied and beat him up in the hostel.

Although the college had maintained its stance that the teen died from wounds sustained while playing football, his family, who vowed to pursue the matter to a logical conclusion, said the deceased opened up before his death and named the culprits.

Taking more concrete steps in pursuing justice after the Lagos State government had sealed off the school indefinitely, the family hired Falana to prosecute the case against the institution.

Acting on the brief, Falana’s Chambers, in a letter signed by Taiwo Olawale, wrote to the office of Lagos State’s chief coroner, requesting an inquest into the circumstances leading to the death of the child.

Titled “Request for Inquest into the Tragic Death of Sylvester Oromoni killed at Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos”, the letter posited that based on the briefings by the family, the deceased died as a result of injuries allegedly inflicted on him by his seniors at the school.

The letter read: “Given the needless death of Sylvester Oromoni, we are compelled to request you to use your good offices to cause a coroner’s inquest to be conducted into the cause of death of this young and promising boy and make appropriate recommendations pursuant to Section 15 of the Lagos State Coroner’s Law 2007, that states that an inquest shall hold whenever a coroner is informed that the death of a deceased person within his coroner district is as a result of a death in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation.

“We, hereby, request your lordship to conduct an inquest into the circumstance surrounding this tragic death and we are confident that your lordship will accede to our request with utmost urgency.”

But the family, in a statement, noted that all they wanted was for the guardians or parents of the boys to be fished out for questioning since the said culprits have been ferried out.

In a related development, the family has distanced itself from an ongoing fundraiser by unknown persons cashing in on the unfortunate situation.

The family, in a post said, “Some people have gone ahead to open donation sites and what not. My family never and would never ask anyone for money. All we need is your voice to seek justice for Sylvester Junior. Please let’s be guided.”

As at press time, an online petition started on Change.org has already garnered 198, 807 votes, just a few votes away from the required 200,000 votes to make it one of the top signed votes.

Started by Irede Foundation, they asked questions like “did the school do enough to protect Sylvester? How were the injuries that led to his death sustained and was the school negligent in protecting its students?”

While stating that there were so many questions and not enough answers, they charged the police “to act immediately and investigate the circumstances and events that led to his death.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos first lady, speaking during an advocacy visit to some schools in furtherance of the ongoing ‘16 Days of Activism against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence,’ described the incident as unfortunate, saying never again should it reoccur in the state.

“I am aware that the Lagos State Government is at the moment investigating the incident and honestly it is something we are not very happy about. It’s a big slap on the face of the education sector, the community, and Lagos State as a whole.

“It is a case that is being investigated and for the parents and everybody involved, honestly, we commiserate with them and send our condolences. As I said, the case is being investigated and I will not be able to say much on it at the moment,” a statement quoted the governor’s wife to have said.

According to her, the advocacy visit to schools was aimed at catching the students young and enlightening them on the need to work against all forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.

“As we all know, the world is commemorating the ‘16 days of activism against SGBV.’ It commenced on November 25 and it will end on December 10, which is Human Rights Day. The programme is being championed globally by United Nations and our theme this year is “Orange The World: End Violence Against Women Now.

“The advocacy is also being championed by the Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum, NGOs and so many other private individuals and organisations to ensure that there is zero tolerance to gender-based violence all over Nigeria and Lagos in particular,” she said.