The coroner hearing the inquest to unravel circumstances surrounding the death of 12-year old Sylvester Oromoni Jnr. says he will issue summons for certain persons including the pathologist that conducted the first autopsy on the deceased to come and testify in the matter.
The magistrate, Mikhail Kadiri revealed this on Tuesday after hearing more evidence from the bereaved father.
Sylvester Oromoni braved another grueling session of probing questions into the manner he managed his son’s injury upon being discharged from his school, Dowen College in Lagos, on November 24, 2021.
At instances, his emotions failed him as the magistrate had to order two short breaks to allow the witness regain his composure.
The Oromoni family believes five senior students allegedly physically assaulted their son in school and forced him to drink an unknown Substance which led to his death on November 30. This position is contrary to the school’s claims that he sustained injuries while playing football.
In further questioning by a senior advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Omoaka representing one of the suspected students, on why he met up with the Pathologist that conducted the first autopsy in Warri, Dr Clement Vhriterhire, the witness replied that the consultant said he found a black substance in the deceased’s intestine during the procedure and they didn’t have the facility to test it so it would be taken to Lagos.
Mr. Oromoni also affirmed that his son was taken to their church a day before he died for a one-hour deliverance service in the morning.
The politician denied the insinuations by the cross examiners that caregivers massaged the young Sylvester’s injured right leg during his home treatment which could have compounded his plight as seen in the video clips played in open court. The lawyers recalled previous statements by a family friend, Peter Odeworitse who claimed Mr Oromoni had asked someone to come and massage the injury, but he insisted it was only to examine it and that it was the school nurse that massaged his son’s leg.
Mr Omoaka also asked the grieving father why the family didn’t record the moment the deceased allegedly confessed to his mother and Mr Odeworitse that certain seniors had attacked him, in addition to the several videos they made of their son in pains. Mr Oromoni said in tears that, “Those videos weren’t made in anticipation of his death, there were made by the mother so to use to give thanksgiving in church to show the condition he went through during that period.”
Mr Oromoni denied claims by counsel for Dowen College Anthony Kpokpo that the school had earlier in April 2021 called him to come and pick his son because he had a twisted tongue and scalded mouth, And returned to school after a week with antibiotics and a gel.
Counsel for the Lagos state government, Akingbola George also asked the witness to confirm that the police report after the investigation detailing the previous suspensions of two suspected seniors over bullying in 2019 had no links with the present case which he did. He also affirmed that the police stated it couldn’t prove the allegations that the deceased was beaten in the dark by the accused seniors in school.
But Mr Oromoni insisted in court that the eventual exoneration of the suspected students and staff by the police and the state government, was due to a “massive coverup.”
Further hearing continues on Monday February 21.
