Funmi Ogundare
Following the controversial death of a student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, Master Sylvester Oromoni, 12, allegedly bullied and killed by cultists the Lagos State Government, yesterday ordered the indefinite closure of college, pending the outcome of an investigation into his death.
The Commissioner for Education Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, announced the closure after a meeting with the school management and staff while calling for calm.
She said no effort would be spared in getting to the root of the incident.
Oromoni’s nephew, Perry Oromoni, had, taken to Twitter to share his account of what transpired, and how the deceased was attacked for vehemently declining to join what he termed the secondary school’s ‘cult group: dominated by older boys at the institution located in Lekki.
In a follow-up statement, Dowen College had debunked the claims saying that the deceased actually died from an injury he got while playing football.
The Principal of the school, Mrs. Adebisi Layiwola in a press statement, had expressed sadness over the death of the student and that one of the school’s hostel officials had informed the management on November 21 that Sylvester popularly known as Junior, was injured while playing football with his colleagues, adding that he was given first aid by a resident nurse and returned to his hostel after he expressed relief.
She added that Junior started complaining of pain in his hip the next day.
The statement read in parts, “the doctor examined him and prescribed Ibuprofen for the pain, while the nurse massaged his leg, after which he felt a bit better.
“In accordance with school policy, the resident doctor called his mother reporting the incident and requesting that she come for him so that he could get further medical attention.
“The mother however said she was not in Lagos, spoke and prayed with him on the phone and promised to send the guardian to pick him up immediately for further medical attention.
“When the guardian failed to show up, the next day on the 23rd of November 2021, the doctor called the mother again and this time, she assured that his guardian would pick him from school. His guardian showed up and took him for X-ray after which the guardian informed the school management that the results of the investigation revealed that no part of his body was broken or injured. The resident doctor also called the mother later in the week to check up on his progress but she informed the doctor that he was sleeping at the time.”
THISDAY learnt that the family of the deceased has already petitioned Hakeem Odumosu, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, on December 2.
Another petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) will follow on December 6 for a full-scale probe.
