AFRICA

Oromoni: Coroner Inquest Clears Dowen College of Wrongdoing, Blames Parents

The Coroner Inquest set up to unravel the death of a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki, Sylvester Junior Oromoni, who died under controversial circumstances, on Monday, exonerated the school and the five students accused of bullying, and forcing the deceased to drink substance which caused his death.

The coroner, Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri, who stopped at intervals to weep about the death of Oromoni, said the deceased’s death was an avoidable death but for the negligence of his parents and the family doctor Aghogho Owhojede, who didn’t take him to the hospital until the day he died on November 30, 2021.

He held that the Dowen College, its staff, and the five students namely Favour Benjamin, 16, Edward Begue (16), Ansel Temile (14) Kenneth Inyang and Micheal Kashamu, 16, son of late Senator, Buruji Kashamu, did not play any role that led to the death of Oromoni.

He exonerated the school of negligence and the five senior students of bullying the deceased and administering a poisonous substance on him.

The Coroner held: “The alleged suspects played no part in Sylvester’s death but were victims of their past misdeeds. They were falsely accused, and no staff of Dowen College played any role in the death. The school has improved its facilities since the incident.

“The claims of chemical intoxication were never proven, and the faces of those allegedly bullying the deceased weren’t seen. The alleged confession of Sylvester was denied by several witnesses. Even if he was beaten, It didn’t lead to his death.”

He said the deceased played football on November 20, 2021, and his leg was messaged by his roommates and the school nurse.

Kadiri, who conducted the inquest while revealing his findings said the death was an avoidable death.

The coroner who broke down in tears several times while reading his findings and even rose at a point to comport himself, said the case was touching but needed objectivity.

“The deceased went through an avoidable and excruciating pain and was made to suffer needlessly,” he said.

The Magistrate, while delivering his findings, which lasted for more than six hours, said 32 witnesses testified in the coroner’s inquest which started sitting in January 2022.

Among the evidence the coroner relied on included the findings of two autopsies conducted on the deceased at the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta state, with only the family present, and at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, where about ten pathologists representing various parties including the family, Lagos State government and Dowen College took part in.

“He said the autopsy conducted on December 14, 2021, in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital by Dr. Sunday Soyemi and the toxicology report of post-mortem samples of the Central Hospital, Warri Delta State conducted by Pathologist consultant Dr Clement Vhriterhire were in agreement as to the cause of death namely, Septicemia, Lobar Pneumonia with Acute Pyelonephritis, Pyomyositis of the right ankle and Acute Bacteria Pneumonia due to severe Sepsis.

“Death was caused by Septicaemia (a life-threatening health condition caused by a patient’s body’s response to an infection), following infections of the lungs and kidneys arising from the ankle wound.

“No evidence of blunt force trauma in this body. The findings in the esophagus and stomach are not compatible with chemical intoxication. Death, in this case, is natural.”

Dr. Sunday Soyemi, who led the Lagos procedure stated in the autopsy report that sepsis, which led to the death of the boy, could have been treated with “massive doses of intravenous antibiotic, intravenous fluid and blood transfusion,” but which was never done.

From the evidence, Sylvester was said to have sustained an injury on his ankle between November 20 and 21, following first aid treatment, the school contacted his parents to come and pick him up for further treatment.

The deceased’s guardian, Mr Clifford Tejere, was sent on November 23, 2021, to the school to pick him up and take him for an X-ray, but no fracture was detected.

The family doctor, Aghogho was also lambasted for not providing the required duty of care for the patient whose home care treatment was “trivialised”.

The Coroner said, “I do not believe the family doctor, Aghogho’s evidence. Despite early diagnosis, the doctor (Aghogho), was found to have abandoned the deceased for more than 32 hours and didn’t carry out an X-ray and scan early enough which would have revealed his deteriorating condition.”

The coroner also recommended that parents should not treat their children’s health with levity, as well as better synergy between police and medical teams in such matters.

He also called for proper psychological evaluation for the five students suspected to have bullied the deceased.

Meanwhile, after the judgment, the deceased’s father in an interview with journalists said the medical expert did not give us a concluding result.

“They said they saw a substance inside the body of the deceased, was it tested? It wasn’t tested. This is not the end of the case. As far as I am concerned, it does not represent a true proceeding of the evidence taken,” he said.

When asked about his next action and if he would appeal the judgment, he said, “Don’t worry I will consult my lawyer. If you send a child to school – a distance school – who is to take care of the child in the school? Is it not the principal and the doctor of the school?

“If you say it is the doctor after five days that is supposed to take care of the child and that the doctor here and the school principal are exempted, who is the immediate parent of the boy?” he queried.

Dowen’s lawyer Anthony Popo, said, “It is unfortunate that innocent young boys almost had their lives irreversibly destroyed because of lies. It is a good thing that we all had the opportunity before the Coroner and the verdict has come strong, exonerated Dowen College of over 23 years and all the Dowen students.”

Wale Igbintade