The State and The Parents Are Also Complacent in Sylvester Oromoni’s Death – Taiwo Akinlami

Since the death of 12-year-old Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, a student of Dowen College in Lekki, Lagos, several Nigerians have weighed in on the issue, calling on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the boy’s death.

The late Sylvester, who would have turned 13 last weekend, was allegedly bullied and beaten last week by senior students of the private boarding secondary school for refusing to join a cult.

He was reported to have died from the injuries sustained from the beating.

Following the incident, the Lagos State Government ordered the indefinite closure of the school and has launched a probe into the death of the young boy.

Meanwhile, Sylvester’s father, in an emotional interview on ARISE News yesterday, insisted that his son was tortured to death and wondered how a school that charges so much for tuition was negligent and paid scant attention to students’ welfare.

Taiwo Akinlami, a lawyer and UNICEF adviser on Child Protection, Rights Enlightenment, Education Curriculum Development and Youth Training, discusses the late Sylvester’s death, and what teachers and parents need to do to stem the prevalence of bullying and violence in schools.

Mr Akinlami is himself a survivor of dehumanising abuses as a child.

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