Falana: Coroner ignored crucial evidence in verdict on Oromoni’s death

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says the coroner’s inquest into the death of  Sylvester Oromoni ignored crucial evidence in the case.

Mikhail Kadiri, the presiding judge, delivered the verdict on Monday during a seven-hour proceeding at a magistrate court sitting in Ogba, Lagos.

The judge affirmed that Oromoni died of sepsis emanating from an infection of the lungs and kidney caused by an ankle injury.

Kadiri attributed Oromoni’s death to “parental and medical negligence” and exonerated the authorities of Dowen College.

The coroner’s verdict also ruled that neither bullying nor chemical poisoning as alleged was responsible for the student’s death.

However, in his reaction to the ruling, Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and counsel to the Oromoni family, said the coroner overlooked some “uncontradicted evidence” while giving his verdict.

Sunday Soyemi, a chief pathologist with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), had informed the coroner’s court that a “blackish substance” was found in the Oromoni’s intestine during autopsy.

Soyemi added that no toxicological exam was done to determine what it was.

Falana said the coroner ignored the findings by the government pathologist despite the allegation that Oromoni was force-fed poison.

“The acting director of public prosecution of Lagos State at the material time had recommended that some staff and students be prosecuted for criminal negligence over the bullying of students in the school,” Falana added.

“Four days later, the acting DPP turned around to say that there was no case to answer without any fresh evidence from the police investigators. The coroner ruled that the acting DPP had the power to withdraw her recommendations at any time.”

Falana said doctors testified that the deceased died of sepsis which could have been caused by excessive massaging of his leg.

“The coroner conveniently overlooked the fact that the school doctor and the nurses massaged the leg of the deceased for two days before inviting his parents to take him home,” he added.

Falana expressed concern that, in an attempt to exonerate Dowen College of complicity, the coroner was silent on the “overwhelming evidence of the bullying of the deceased, his sister, and other students” by the five students accused in the case.

“In particular, the coroner discountenanced the evidence of a student who had testified that he saw the deceased beaten up and subjected to torture by a group of senior students,” the human rights lawyer added.

“Despite such uncontradicted evidence, the coroner said that the deceased died of natural cause.

“The coroner claimed that the negligence of the family doctor led to the death of the deceased but failed to refer him to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for appropriate sanctions.”

Sylvester Oromoni controversially died on November 30, 2021, while still a student at Dowen College in Lekki Lagos.

His parents alleged that the boy, who was aged 12, was bullied, beaten up, and fed a chemical substance by five of his male colleagues.

Dowen College had dismissed the claim, alleging that the late student only sustained injuries while playing football with his friends.

The Oromoni family had countered Dowen’s claim, arguing that their son had no pre-existing health challenges before the incident.

In January 2022, an initial autopsy declared that Oromoni Junior died of “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication”.

However, the post-mortem was discredited due to its methods and some dissatisfactions surrounding the parties who witnessed the procedure.

The Lagos department of public prosecution (DPP) conducted a second autopsy which ruled that Oromoni died “naturally”.

The case has been under inquiry in a coroner’s court since 2022,  as the bereaved family vowed to pursue the inquest to a logical end.

Among the defendants of the case are the five accused teenage schoolboys of Dowen College.

They include Favour Benjamin, Micheal Kashamu, Edward Begue, Ansel Temile, and Kenneth Inyang.

All five boys were cleared and released from the juvenile home in 2022.

Several witnesses testified during the two-year pendency of the case, including doctors, students, Dowen staff, and the principal.

The father of the deceased Sylvester Oromoni (Snr) and the mother Rosemary Oromoni also took to the witness box on several occasions.

Some of the Dowen employees involved in the case include Celina Uduak, Valentine Igboekweze, Hammed Ayomo Bariyu, Adesanya Olusesan Olusegun, and one Adeyemi, all of whom were initially accused of “negligent act causing harm” in the alleged bullying case.

Oromoni was buried on January 27, 2024, as the court declared April 12 and, later, April 15 to disclose its findings.