The father of Oromoni Sylvester Jnr. has informed a Lagos Coroner Court sitting in Ikeja that there is a massive cover up on the death of his son, who was a Junior Secondary School student of Dowen College, Lagos. 

He disclosed this under cross-examination by the Director of Ministry of Justice, Mr Akin George, who asked him, to clarify why he alleged cover-up in a video clip?

The witness responded that the police had told him the investigation has not been concluded before the suspected five students were released.

In his explanation, before Coroner Magistrate Mikhail Kadri in an ongoing inquest to unravel the cause of the death of his 12-year-old son and student of Dowen College, Lagos, the witness said it is clearly stated in the police report. 

He said: “ It is clearly stated in the police report that a Magistrates’ Court in Yaba requested for 21-days and after 14-days, the boys were granted bail when the police were not done with their investigations.

“When I saw the Commissioner of Police, (Hakeem Odumosu), he told me that it was not true that they were not done with their investigation. On that day, when they said they had released those boys, the courts were not sitting. The Deputy Commissioner of Police told me the same thing and told me to give him some time. After about two to four minutes, he called me back and confirmed it, that they were given 21-days for their investigations and the boys had just spent 14-days in detention.”

He added: “They (police) said they were going to write a protest letter. They were already interrogating two of the students so they were taken by surprise. The same Commissioner of Police, after some days now publicly said that at the instance of Mr Governor, the Attorney-General and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions said there was nothing wrong with the boys, therefore, they’ve released them.’’

Earlier in the proceeding, Oromoni Senior told the court that he did not call anybody to massage the deceased leg but to examine it.

When he was cross-examined by one of the accused students lawyer, Mr. Godwin Omoaka the witness maintained that the school had told them that the boy had muscle pull while playing football. But, “he (the deceased) was massaged in the school severally not in the house.”

The father of the deceased was emotional, crying after the video clip of the boy in an agony of pain on the bed, was played to clarify the allegation that the deceased was bullied. He told the court that he was not there when the deceased told Peter Odeworitse and his mother that he was bullied. “ I didn’t see any sign he was beaten. That was after two weeks. The mouth was bad.”

When he was cross-examined by the schools’ lawyer, Mr. Anthony Kpokpo, Oromoni Senior clarified that Dr. Henry Aghogho did not tell him on November 26, 2021 that his son had enlarged liver.

He explained: “A nurse called from school on Monday evening that my son needed medical attention. It was the first time that the school called me for that. It is a lie that the school earlier called me to come and pick up my son for having twisted a tongue and scalded mouth.” 

Coroner Magistrate Kadri, however, frowned and condemned the way the matter is been portrayed on social media.

He charged media to report responsibly, saying that all those reports on socio media are distractions, which cannot stop him from due diligence.

He, therefore, listed some witnesses to be summoned, which include: the deceased roommate, Prof. John Obafunwa, Dr. Amos Fabanwo, the school nurse, that student who allegedly play football with the deceased, Investigation Police Officer (Warri) and Dr. Clement Vhriterhire, the pathologist in Warri and others.