DPP initially indicted Dowen College over Sylvester Oromoni’s death – Police

A policeman, CSP Bamidele Olusegun, said Dowen College was initially indicted in the first legal advice issued by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over the death of 12-year-old student, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr.

Our correspondent reports that Olusegun, who is serving with the Homicide Section of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos, stated this on Monday while testifying before an Ikeja Coroner’s Court.

While under cross-examination by counsel to the Oromoni family, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), the policeman said he had received an interim legal advice from the DPP dated Dec. 30, 2021, which recommended that the school and its staff should be prosecuted for alleged negligence.

Falana showed the witness a copy of the interim report and requested that he should read the last paragraph of the document.

Reading it aloud, he said: “There are sufficient facts to establish this offence against Mrs Celina Uduak, Valentine Igboekweze, Hammed Ayomo Bariyu, Adesanya Olusegun and Mr Adeyemi and Dowen College.”

The witness also noted he received another legal advice dated Jan 4., which had exonerated Dowen College of involvement in the death of the deceased.

The witness affirmed that he conducted a thorough investigation on the matter and he was aware that the police had protested that they were not allowed to conclude their investigations on the case due to the issuance of the Jan. 4 DPP advice.

Olusegun identified a copy of the protest letter written to the Chief Judge of Lagos State by the police shown to him by Falana.

A portion of the letter, read aloud by the witness in the court, stated that: “It came as a rude shock that the investigation was not allowed to be carried out.”

He also said the suspects were not brought back to the police station for the conclusion of the investigation.

“During investigation, one of the suspects informed me that the deceased was bullied.”

“Another one also told me that he was taken to the third floor to be tortured,” he said.

When asked if any of the suspects had informed him that the deceased was injured on Nov. 14, 2021, Olusegun said he did not have any recollection.

The policeman told the inquest that the sister of the deceased told him that her late brother was also bullied sometime in October 2021 and that the boy who allegedly bullied him was not punished for the act.

“She also confirmed to me that they bullied her brother because they wanted him to described her private parts.”

“I wouldn’t know the deceased was taken to the sick bay in October when he was bullied,” he said.

Olusegun confirmed during the cross-examination that a female parent had also reported that her son was bullied by some Dowen College students at the Maroko Police Station.

Earlier, the witness narrated to the Coroner’s Court how he investigated the case.

He said: “On Dec. 3, 2021, a petition forwarded to my office was assigned to me; Dowen College was already closed down then.

“On Dec. 6, 2021, we were at Maroko Police Station, where we met the school principal, and the suspects.”

“We took them down to Panti and obtained statements from the accused and the other management staff.”

“We then proceeded to a Yaba Magistrates’ Court to get a Remand Order. The House Masters were detained with us while the children were remanded at the Oregun Correctional Home.”

Olusegun said the statement of Mr Sylvester Oromoni Snr, the father of the deceased student, was taken on Dec. 9, 2021.

He noted that the Lagos State Attorney-General and the Lagos State Commissioner for Education were put on the phone when the parties were interrogated.

“I recollect that I went to Warri to bring the corpse to Lagos and I had an interaction with the doctor and the Consultant Pathologists.”

“We arrived in Lagos on Jan.13 with the corpse while the autopsy was performed the next day but before then, letters were dispatched to the parties asking them to be in attendance or send representatives during the autopsy.”

“I later proceeded to Abuja to speak with one of the witnesses. I also recollect that we visited the school on a fact finding mission and it was opened to us.”

“I remember that the doctor at the school hospital; Dr Moji confirmed that she attended to the deceased between Nov. 21 and 22 2021.”

“She confirmed to me that she asked the nurse to massage the deceased’s legs and that paracetamol was also administered on him,” he said.

When asked if the school had CCTV cameras, he said: “Absolutely no, there were no CCTV cameras in the school.”

The Director of the Lagos State DPP, Dr Babajide Martins, and counsel to Dowen College, Mr Anthony Kpokpo, representing Dowen School, informed the inquest that they were not previously served copies of the legal advice with which Falana had cross-examined the witness.

Kpokpo said : “It has become a part of the deceased family to present documents that have not been front-loaded.”

“We will not be able to continue with the cross-examination as a result of the surprises being pulled on us. This is a regrettable.”

Our correspondent reports that it was alleged by the Oromoni family that 12-year-old student had died on Nov. 30, 2021 from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for allegedly refusing to join a cult.

It was also alleged that he was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.

The Lagos State DPP’s advice released on Jan. 4 disputed the allegation stating that an autopsy had revealed the cause if Oromoni’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, adjourned proceedings until Feb. 22 for continuation of cross-examination.