News

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

Published

4 years ago

March 14, 2022

A consultant pathologist at the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta, Dr Clement Vhriterhire, who carried out the first autopsy on Dowen College Student, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., said there was no proof of chemical intoxication in his body.

The pathologist said his findings revealed that Oromoni died from acute inflammatory pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Vhriterhire conducted the first autopsy on the deceased 12-year-old student on Dec. 2, 2021 in Warri.

Testifying on Monday before an Ikeja Coroner’s Court, the pathologist, while responding to questions from the Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, said contrary to social media reports, there were no signs of chemical intoxication found in the deceased.

He said: “This is the final autopsy report that I issued. After I had settled down and reviewed my microscopic slide, in light of nothing significant from the toxicology, I married everything together.

“In the absence of chemical intoxication, and different organs were showing inflammatory processes, I came about acute inflammatory pneumonia due to severe sepsis. This is my final report.”

The witness had earlier told the court that he was served a paper by the police on Dec. 2, 2021 to carry out an autopsy, which was conducted at Safe Haven Medicaid, Warri.

Vhriterhire said prior to conducting the autopsy, he was informed that the deceased was beaten to death and that upon viewing the body, he did not see any open injury suggesting the deceased was beaten.

He told the inquest that the father of the deceased had provided his medical history.

“He told me the deceased was allegedly beaten which led to his death. That was the initial information before I touched the body.

“After that, I opened the body appropriately. I expected to see certain things on the deceased body based on the information I was given but I did not see any open injury that suggested that he was beaten.

“The only thing external was bruises and scalding of the lips. I was expecting internal bleeding, maybe rupture of the internal organ but I saw none.

“At this point, I informed the member of the family that I didn’t see any evidence the deceased was beaten.

“They called the father and told me that in the process of being beaten, the deceased was given a poisonous substance to drink,” he said.

The pathologist further said he saw a chocolate coloured material mixed with blood after he opened up the deceased and took the samples for toxicology.

“I opened the stomach based on what I saw, there was a chocolate colour material mixed with mucus. I considered toxicology the only way I could know what the substance meant.

“I took some samples, blood from the heart, and a piece of liver, for toxicology. I also took a piece from the tongue and most organs of the body and processed them,” he said.

He added that towards the end of the week, he received a call from the Police in Lagos that the father of the deceased had formally made a complaint and would like another autopsy to be carried out in Lagos.

“On that Sunday afternoon, I had to rush to the office and check the microscopic slide to write out the report.

“I found out that the blood vessel was not clearly healthy under the microscope, I also discovered acute lung injury, added with the story that the deceased was beaten, I came about the interim report while still waiting for toxicology to validate,” he said.

The witness, moreover, told the court that he was 100 per cent in agreement with the second autopsy report, conducted by the acting Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State, Dr Sokunle Soyemi.

“I was at the second autopsy in Lagos as an observer because the father of the deceased informed me to be present all through.

“I did not have anything in my mind that would make me think nothing was wrong with the second autopsy as I agree 100 per cent with the result,” he said.

The coroner adjourned proceedings until March 14 for continuation of hearing.

News

PAP Sends Additional 34 Foreign Post-graduate Scholarship Beneficiaries To UK Varsities

Published

9 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has deployed an additional 34 foreign post-graduate scholarship beneficiaries to various universities in the United Kingdom for the 2025-2026 academic year.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri by Mr Igoniko Oduma, Special Assistant on Media to Dr. Dennis Otuaro, the Administrator, PAP.

According to the statement, the scholars’ programmes include data science, fintech analytics, cyber security, international energy law and policy, construction project management, public health, agri-food technology, electrical and petroleum engineering, among others.

The statement added that more foreign post-graduate scholars will be sent to UK universities in the current academic session.

“In December 2025, nine students, who were the first set of offshore post-graduate scholarship developments by the PAP Administrator, Dr Dennis Otuaro, for the 2024-2025 academic year, graduated from their various programmes in UK universities.

“Otuaro has deployed over 9000 students to universities within and outside Nigeria for different industry-relevant programmes since he assumed office in March 2024,” the statement partly reads.

Speaking at the pre-departure orientation programme for the scholars at the PAP headquarters in Abuja, on Thursday, Otuaro said that the large-scale deployment was aimed at making the Niger Delta a knowledge-driven region.

He said that his leadership reinvigorated the programme to give it a new momentum in service delivery to the people of the region based on the mandate of President Bola Tinubu.

Otuaro said, “We are sending all of you for post-graduate studies in various universities in the United Kingdom.

“The PAP now has a new momentum and direction because of the repositioning and broad reforms that we carried out in line with the mandate of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“The objective behind the huge scholarships deployment is to ensure that we develop the needed human capital to transform the Niger Delta and generate knowledge-wealth.

“We want to develop relevant manpower in critical disciplines for our region and by extension, the country, because you are expected to contribute your quota to national development after successful graduation.”

The PAP boss, who was represented at the event by his Technical Assistant, Mr Edgar Biu, advised the scholars to study hard to achieve academic excellence in their various fields of research.

According to him, the scholars have an obligation to justify the Federal Government’s investment in their education and future.

He reiterated his warning that beneficiaries should not take for granted the opportunity to further their academic pursuits in the interest of the Niger Delta and indeed the country.

Otuaro expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his “enormous interest and support for the Programme”, particularly the approval of an upward review of the programme’s budget from N65billion to N150billion.

He also expressed gratitude to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his impeccable guidance and supervision of the programme’s initiatives.

Otuaro, therefore, cautioned the scholars to obey their host country’s laws and the rules and regulations of their various institutions, stressing that they are ambassadors of Nigeria, the Niger Delta and their communities and families.

Highpoint of the orientation programme was the presentation of laptops to the scholars to help them in their studies.

News

Industrial Court Bars Resident Doctors From Strike

Published

10 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has issued an interim injunction restraining the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and its agents from embarking on any form of industrial action, including strikes, go-slows, picketing, or preparatory steps for protest, from Monday, January 12, 2026.

Justice E.D. Subilim ordered that the injunction remain in force pending the hearing of the motion on January 21. The suit was filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Federal Government against NARD, its president, Dr Mohammad Suleiman, and Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim.

The court order comes days after resident doctors at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, declared their full support for the nationwide strike announced by NARD over the government’s alleged failure to honour critical welfare and training agreements.

UDUTH doctors cited the non-reinstatement of five disengaged resident doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, unpaid promotion and salary arrears, and incomplete implementation of the Professional Allowance Table as key grievances. Other unresolved issues include withheld specialist allowances, delayed house officers’ salaries, postgraduate training certification delays, and deteriorating hospital infrastructure.

However, NARD had on Tuesday noted that there was no going back on the industrial action, insisting that the strike is necessary and not politically motivated. Speaking in Abuja, Dr Suleiman said the withdrawal of services from midnight on Monday is a response to “unmet commitments, shifting government positions and worsening working conditions for resident doctors, not partisan considerations.”

He argued that none of the demands outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Federal Government on November 27, 2025, have been implemented.

“Every issue is either at the same point where it was when we signed the MoU or we have even gone backwards,” Dr Suleiman said, adding that claims by the Ministry of Health that some issues had been resolved were misleading.
He further challenged the government to show where N90 billion, allegedly allocated in the 2026 budget for health workers’ professional allowances, has been provided.

The association also demanded the immediate reinstatement of the five disengaged resident doctors at FTH Lokoja with full back pay and rejected plans to redeploy them elsewhere.

Other grievances include delayed promotion arrears across 62 tertiary institutions, non-recognition of specialist certificates, and outstanding salary and allowance payments affecting nearly 40 percent of resident doctors.

While NARD remains open to dialogue and has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for decisive intervention, it warned that unless concrete action is taken, the planned industrial action will go ahead, potentially disrupting healthcare services nationwide. Dr Mujitaba Umar, President of the UDUTH chapter, described the situation as “difficult but unavoidable,” while the chapter’s General Secretary, Dr Muhammad Abdulrahman Hassan, urged the Federal Government to act swiftly “in the interest of the Nigerian populace and the healthcare system.”

News

Nigeria To Get Fresh $9.5m Abacha Loot From UK’s Jersey

Published

11 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

Nigeria to receive fresh $9.5 million (£7 million), believed to be stolen funds linked to former military Head of State, Sani Abacha, from the United Kingdom’s Jersey.

According to the BBC, Jersey has agreed to repatriate the fund to the Nigerian government.

The money, described as proceeds of “tainted property,” is said to be part of the vast fortune stolen by Abacha, who ruled Nigeria between 1993 and 1998.

The funds were kept in a bank account in Jersey and had been tied up in legal proceedings for several years.

Although the assets were first recovered during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, court challenges stalled their return to Nigeria. Progress was made in December 2025 when Jersey’s Attorney-General, Mark Temple, signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU, with Nigerian authorities to enable the repatriation.

The latest agreement builds on two earlier arrangements between Jersey and Nigeria that led to the return of more than $300 million (£230m) in recovered assets.