‘Sylvester Oromoni Was Born Without Any Underlying Illness’

The late Master Sylvester Oromoni of Dowen College, Lagos, was given birth to, without any underlying sickness or illness. These were the submissions of Dr Henry Aghogho, who took delivery of the boy when he was born on December 4th, 2009.

 Dr Aghogho said this when he testified at an Ikeja Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Oromoni, aged 12, on Monday, when he was being cross-examined by counsel to Dowen College, Mr  Anthony Kpokpo.

Before the cross-examination, counsel to the Oromoni Family, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, had raised an objection as to why the witness should be cross-examined, while he was disallowed from cross-examining two witnesses who testified earlier.

 The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, ruled that it was stated that the business of the day would entail tendering medical records of the deceased, explaining medical terms therein and cross-examining the Doctor.

The Doctor, who is also the physician of the Oromoni Family, however, told the court that sometime in 2018, the deceased had enteritis and was treated with antibiotics. According to him, the infection was caused by unclean food and water.

 After the cross-examination, the Coroner asked all the counsel in the case whether they had other witnesses, but they all answered in the negative. The Coroner consequently adjourned the inquest until April 1, for a visit to Dowen College, Lagos.

 It was alleged by the Oromoni family, that the student died from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for refusing to join a cult. It was also alleged that, he was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.

 Advice by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions released on January 4, 2022, however, stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.