The Lagos State Government has ordered the release of the five Dowen College students accused of having hands in the mysterious death of 12-year old Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr).
Also, the government ordered the release of the officials of the school located in Lekki area of the state who were arrested and accused of negligence in the death of the deceased pupil.
In a Director of Public Prosecution’s advice in Lagos signed by Adetutu Osinusi, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), on Wednesday, it was stated that the police probes and the two autopsies conducted on the body of the deceased student “failed to establish a prima facie case against the suspects.”
It further stated the interim and final autopsy reports issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and toxicology report of post-mortem samples revealed the cause of death as “Septicaemia, Lobar Pneumonia with Acute Pyelonephritis, Pyomyositis of the right ankle, and Acute Bacteria Pneumonia due to severe Sepsis”.
According to the DPP’s report, “there was no prima facie case of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and or malicious administering of poison with intent to harm [the deceased] against the five accused Dowen College students.”
To this end, the minors were also cleared of the insinuation of belonging to unlawful society (cultism) due to insufficient facts to establish the claim.
The school and five of its employees (Celina Uduak, Valentine Igboekweze, Hammed Ayomo Bariyu, Adesanya Olusesan Olusegun, and one Adeyemi) were also cleared of the alleged offence of “negligent act causing harm”.
The report subsequently directed that all the suspects should be released if they are still in custody
It would be recalled that Oromoni died last November after efforts to save his life failed. The 12-year-old boy was alleged to have been attacked by five of his senior colleagues for refusing to join a cult.
Oromoni’s father had claimed that his child was beaten and fed a liquid chemical that eventually claimed his life.
But Dowen College had dismissed the claim, saying the boy sustained injuries while playing football with his colleagues.
Hakeem Odumosu, Lagos police commissioner, had, thereafter, ordered a probe into the case while the school was sealed off.
Two autopsies were done on the deceased, one by the Delta police and the second by the force’s Lagos command.
The first autopsy earlier released to the public had revealed that the deceased died of “chemical intoxication”.
Following a police probe, Odumosu said findings had been forwarded to the DPP and a response had been received.
Oromoni’s father had earlier kicked against a statement attributed to Odumosu, indicating that the first autopsy on their deceased son was not witnessed by the police.
