Femi Falana Chambers has written to the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Justice Mojisola Dada, demanding an inquest into the cause of death of the 12-year-old Dowen College student who died mysteriously last Tuesday in Lagos.
Acting on behalf of Sylvester Omoroni’s family, the law firm said the inquest became important coupled with the circumstances on which the boy died, urging the Chief Coroner to act expeditiously on the request.
In a letter signed by Taiwo Olawanle, a lawyer in Falana’s office, dated December 6, 2021 sent to the Chief Coroner of Lagos, Falana said he has been briefed by Sylvester’s family.
Sylvester is believed to have died as a result of bullying and torture by some students who wanted him to join their cult group in the school.
The letter stated: “We are a firm of legal practitioners committed to the defence of human rights, rule of law and public accountability in Nigeria.
“We have been briefed by the family of the late Sylvester Oromoni, a student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, who died from injuries he allegedly sustained from the beating by his colleagues that wanted him to join their secret cult group.
“Given the needless death of Sylvester Oromoni, we are compelled to request you to use your good offices to cause a coroner’s inquest to be conducted into the cause of death of this young and promising boy and make appropriate recommendations pursuant to Section 15 of the Lagos State Coroner’s Law 2007 which provides that an inquest shall hold whenever a coroner is informed that the death of a deceased person within his Coroner District is as a result of a death in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation.
“We, hereby, request Your Lordship to conduct an inquest into the circumstances surrounding this tragic death at Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos State and we are confident that Your Lordship will accede to our request with utmost urgency”.
Already, Lagos State Government has ordered the closure of the school pending investigations.
