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Oromoni: Father Kicks As Coroner Blames Parents, Doctor For Teenager’s Death

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Mr Sylvester Oromoni Snr, the father of the late 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki, Sylvester Junior, who died under controversial circumstances after allegedly being bullied and forced to drink a substance, has rejected the judgment of the Coroner Inquest which indicted him, his wife and the family doctor for their son’s death.

He said it was not the end of the case, as the medical expert did not give them a concluding result of the black substance that was found in their son’s stomach.

The Coroner Inquest that looked into the findings of the death of Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, had, on Monday, exonerated Dowen College and the five students who were accused of bullying, beating, and forcing the deceased to drink a substance that allegedly caused his death and indicted the deceased’s parents and family doctor of negligence.

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Oromoni died on November 30, 2021.

The coroner, Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri, in his judgment at the Ogba Magistrate Court, held that Dowen College, its staff members, and the five students namely, Favour Benjamin, 16; Edward Begue (16); Ansel Temile (14); Kenneth Inyang and Michael Kashamu, 16, son of the late Senator Buruji Kashamu, did not play any role that led to the death of Oromoni.

READ ALSO: Sylvester Oromoni’s Death: Coroner Inquest Releases Report

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He cleared the school of any negligence and the five senior students accused of bullying the deceased and administering a poisonous substance to him.

He said, “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.”

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

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

READ ALSO: Sylvester Oromoni’s Death: Coroner Inquest Releases Report

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Kadiri, who stopped at intervals to weep about the death of Oromoni, said the teenager‘s death was avoidable and as well as caused by the negligence of the parents and the family doctor, Aghogho Owhojede, who didn’t take him to the hospital until the day he died on November 30, 2021.

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

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

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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, where about 10 pathologists representing various parties including the family, Lagos State Government and Dowen College took part in.

READ ALSO: Sylvester Oromoni’s Death: Coroner Fixes Date To Release Inquest

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“He said that 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,” he said.

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

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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.

READ ALSO: Sylvester Oromoni: Pathologist Reveals Real Cause Of Dowen College Student’s Death

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The deceased’s guardian, Mr Clifford Tejere, was sent on November 23, 2021, to the school to pick him up and took 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”.

“I do not believe the version of the family doctor, Aghogho’s evidence.

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“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,” he said.

The coroner also recommended that parents should not treat their children’s health with levity, as well as ensure 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.

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READ ALSO: Dowen College: Group Demands Timely Justice As Late Sylvester Oromoni Is Buried

Immediately after the judgment, the deceased’s father in an interview with journalists said the medical expert did not give them 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.

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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 distant 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 that 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.

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READ ALSO: Police Arrest Suspected Killers Of Sylvester Oromoni, Dowen College Student

The deceased’s family lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), while reacting to the judgment of the Coroner, stated that it was curious that the coroner ignored the evidence of the government pathologist that the “black substance” found in the stomach of the deceased was not subjected to toxicological examination. The allegation was that the deceased was forced to drink a poisonous substance.

According to him, the acting Director of Public Prosecution of Lagos State at the material time had recommended that some staff and students be prosecuted for criminal negligence over the bullying of students in the school. Four days later, the acting DPP turned around to say that there was no case to answer without any fresh evidence from the police investigators. The coroner ruled that the acting DPP had the power to withdraw her recommendations at any time!

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The doctors who testified stated that the deceased died of sepsis and that the sepsis could have been caused by excessive massaging of the leg of the deceased.

“The coroner conveniently overlooked the fact that the school doctor and the nurses massaged the leg of the deceased for two days before inviting his parents to take him home.

“In an attempt to exonerate Dowen College, the coroner was silent on the overwhelming evidence of the bullying of the deceased, his sister, and other students by the same set of students.

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Dowen’s lawyer, Anthony Popo, said what had happened was an unravelling of atupostriry of life and painstaking attention to details by the Coroner, who spent so much time, over 900 pages of records of proceedings and that he produced the truth in line with logic, and in line with science.

“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,” he said.

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Oke-Oroma Elders Accuse Edo-GIS Officials of Reviving Obaseki’s Controversial Coral City Project

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Elders of the Oke-Oroma community in Edo State, have raised concerns over alleged attempts by certain elements within the Edo State Geographic Information Service, Edo-GIS, to revive the outlawed Coral City template, a project initiated by former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration.

They claimed that this clandestine move by these elements in EDOGIS is aimed at undermining and frustrating the progress made in affirming and redeeming Governor Monday Okpebholo’s earlier solemn promises to the people.

Recall that the Edo State Government in a press release dated October 8, 2025, warned land grabbers, encroachers and speculators to steer clear the land in Obagie community designed for Coral City by the immediate past government, after it was reportedly speculated that some people have encroached the said area.

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In a press statement jointly signed by the Head of the Community, Gaius Emokpae and the Secretary, Monday Omorogiuwa and made available to the newsmen yesterday, the duo disclosed that Okpebholo has been working round the clock to address the issues surrounding the Oke-Oroma land disputed area, but faced with these elements who are hiding under government to escalate tension.

READ ALSO:Edo State Government Pays Last Respect To Late NSCDC Commandant

They revealed that in continuation of the former governor Obaseki’s manipulative tendencies, these elements have also reportedly established another new company named EDO NEW TOWNS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD to replace the CORAL CITY with the directors purely their political associates, Blood relatives and friends.

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The gang up, according to Emokpae, is between Obaseki’s loyalists and these elements in EDOGIS who are attempting to silence governor Okpebholo’s decision on the issue.

The statement partly reads, “After Governor Monday Okpebholo was inaugurated on November 12, 2024, he visited the community and made a solemn promise to return our village to us after carrying out their investigations.

“When we visited him in the office he told us that the government had revoked the C of C of the people the former governor sold to, notably the “Coral City”. He told us to go back home and take over our land and start development.

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READ ALSO:CSOs, Academia, Impacted Communities Launch Climate Justice Campaign In Edo

The pronouncement was greeted with a thunderous ovation. We are now in the process of completing the legal documentation to conclude this milestone transaction

“But some powerful people in EDO-GIS are hiding under the umbrella of governance to re-invent the ex-governor Obaseki’s template specifically the Coral City to reverse the decision of Governor Monday Okpebholo.”

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While lamenting their moves, the duo emphasized that despite the governor’s clear intention on revoking the Coral City to allow the owners go back to their lands, the bank account used for the operations of the Coral City is still functional where some financial transactions were recently carried out between some people invited to purchase some piece of plots and EDO-GIS Officials.

Despite existing as an ancestral home date back 15th century ago, Oke Oroma Community had been immersed in communal boundary disputes with neighbouring villages including Amagba, and Obazagbon villages in Oredo Local Government, and Obagie N” vbuosa in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area since June 2012, four months after the death of Pa Joseph Emokpae, the last Odionwere of the community.

READ ALSO:Police Alert Public On Anonymous Bomb Threats In Edo

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Since then the crisis escalated, and not less than 25 people have been killed with property worth billions of Naira by the former governor Obaseki’s backed loyalists and suspected land grabbers across the neighboring communities.

They expressed worry that if allowed to continue, this could lead to renewed tensions and violence in the area.

The elders, in the statement, are urging individuals seeking personal benefits to desist and work with the governor whose magnanimity is well known from the beginning of his administration as he takes necessary steps to prevent any further escalation of the situation and ensure the continued peace and stability of the community.

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Several calls put across to the Media Director of Edo-GIS by INFO DAILY for a response on the allegations, did not go through, as the network response: “The number you dial is switched off.”

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Tenebe Threatens To Suspend Edo Commissioner Who Fails To Wear Asiwaju’s Cap

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Chairman of the All progressives Congress in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, has said that any Commissioner sent out of the State Executive Council meeting for not wearing Tinubu’s signature cap would be suspended from the party.

Recall that Governor Monday Okpebholo had, during the Inauguration of the last batch of Commissioners, to wear the cap whenever they attend Exco meeting.

Tenebe in a television interview and monitored by our reporter said it was an act of indiscipline and insubordination for any Commissioner not to obey Okpebholo’s directive.

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He said any impediment for Edo APC not to achieve 3.5 million votes for President Tinubu in 2027 would not be tolerated.

READ ALSO:Tenebe Fingers Edo APC Chieftains As Plot To Replace Him As Chair Thickens

He said, “If you refuse to wear the cap as the governor has directed, we will suspend you. That is indiscipline and insubordination.

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“We are doing it because we have made a promise that 3.5 million votes are guaranteed. Everybody has keyed into realising the 3.5 million votes.

“If, as a member of the APC, you got an appointment, you are supposed to be loyal to the President.

“We are expressing our loyalty to the President by wearing the cap. Those complaining are not members of the APC. We, in Edo, have made it clear. No Asiwaju cap, no Exco.”

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Police Alert Public On Anonymous Bomb Threats In Edo

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The Edo State Police Command has alerted corporate organisations and members of the public to a wave of anonymous bomb threats being used by unidentified fraudsters to extort money.

The warning was contained in a public advisory issued on Monday by the Assistant Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem.

She said the command is investigating what it described as clear attempts to extort through fear and intimidation.

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“The Edo State Police Command has observed a disturbing crime trend involving anonymous callers threatening individuals, business owners, and corporate organisations in Edo State, claiming that explosive devices have been planted within their premises.

READ ALSO:Edo State Government Pays Last Respect To Late NSCDC Commandant

“The callers then demand money, threatening to detonate the alleged explosives if their demands are not met. These acts are clear attempts at extortion through fear and intimidation, and the Command is actively investigating reported cases,” Ikoedem said.

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In light of the development, the command urged members of the public to remain calm.

She added, “Do not panic or give in to any financial demands from such callers. The Command’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit is fully capable of detecting and neutralising explosives.

“Report all such calls or messages immediately to the nearest police station or to the Command’s Control Room via 08077773721 or 08037646272.

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READ ALSO:Tenebe Fingers Edo APC Chieftains As Plot To Replace Him As Chair Thickens

Avoid spreading unverified information or causing unnecessary panic.

“Stay vigilant and report any suspicious persons, objects, or movements in your surroundings.”

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Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, has ordered the deployment of specialised units, including the EOD team, Intelligence Bureau, and Tactical Squads, to respond swiftly to any reported threats and safeguard the public.

The Command also confirmed it is working closely with telecommunication providers and other security agencies to trace and apprehend the perpetrators.

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