Dowen College: No Justice For Oromoni As Deceased Son’s Father Speaks One Year After

• May Withdraw From Coroner Inquest If…

One year after his son’s passing, Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr), a former student of Dowen College in Lekki, Lagos State, father of the deceased said on Tuesday that if authorities kept delaying the release of the results of the inquest, he might withdraw from the coroner’s inquiry and pursue another legal avenue to seek redress.

One year after his death, Late Sylvester, who passed away on November 30, 2021, has not yet been laid to rest. It is believed that his death was caused by bullying, assault, negligence, and the administration of a poisonous substance while he was at school.

Recalls that the Lagos State Government ordered a coroner inquest to determine the cause of death, which started on January 21, 2022, at the Magistrate Court, Epe (now Magistrate Court 20, Ogba), but has not yet been completed.

The Dowen College and some of its staff were indicted and recommended for prosecution under Section 252 of the Criminal Law (C17) Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State 2015 in an earlier Legal Advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, Ministry of Justice, Lagos State. 

Nevertheless, the deceased’s father claims that “these individuals indicted are still working freely while the body of the deceased continues to lie in the morgue,” despite the legal advice.

In a statement released in Warri, he said that thanks to the efforts of the Honourable Coroner and the cooperation of many parents, in particular the parents of the two witnesses who travelled from Abuja to testify on the 14th of November, 2022, the Coroner subsequently adjourned proceedings to the 21st of November 2022 for Dowen College to produce the two remaining witnesses from the school.

“However, due to the College’s antics and strategy, the school refused to provide these two witnesses who are currently in Dowen College on the said 21st November, 2022 to enable them to testify before the Coroner”. 

The Inquest was further delayed, according to the senior Oromoni, to November 28, 2022 as a result, he added. Due to the absence of these crucial Dowen College witnesses, the Coroner was unfortunately unable to sit on this particular date, he added.

“At this juncture, let it be known that the Coroner Inquest of the Ikoyi building collapse of 2021 where 52 persons died did not take this protracted time as well the Ojota Yoruba rally where one Miss Jumoke Oyeleke died had since been concluded their Inquest.

“As the father of the deceased, I cannot be tired or discouraged from pursuing justice as I have promised my son to get him justice even if it will take thirty (30) years to achieve it. Today, the 30th of November 2022 makes it a year since the demise of my son and the body is still in the morgue, yet to be buried. 

“This one-year memorial being held today is to tell Nigerians and the entire world about the current position of the Inquest and the antics of Dowen College.

“I am equally aware that some civil society organizations and NGOs in Abuja and Lagos are equally observing the one-year memorial today to mark his one-year untimely demise. May the soul of Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr.) and all departed souls rest in perfect peace. Amen.

“At this point, I wish to call on the Honourable Coroner to please do the needful by urgently bringing the inquest to an end as Nigerians and the entire world are waiting for the dispensation of justice in this case as justice delay is justice denied. 

 “This struggle is not only about my late son, but my own way of preventing the future occurrence of this tragic incident.

In the same vein, we equally urge the Lagos State Government, as a matter of urgency to charge Dowen College and all the staff who had earlier been recommended for prosecution in the DPP Advice of 30th day of December, 2021 to court. 

“Already, Dowen College has since the commencement of this Coroner put a lot of things in order in the school premises which were not available at the material time. You may wish to know that the installation of CCTV cameras and a football pitch have been provided as against the former concrete basketball court which was being used.

“I must state categorically that if this Inquest is not concluded before the end of this year, I shall be compelled to withdraw from it in order to take a different legal step to seek justice”, the statement reads.