The family of Sylvester Oromoni (Junior), a 12-year-old pupil of the Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos State, who died under questionable circumstances last week, has demanded a coroner inquest into his death.
Recall that last Wednesday; the news of Sylvester’s death hit the internet through a post made by his cousin, Perry Oromoni, who alleged that some senior students of the college beat him up in his hostel for refusing to join a cult.
The school had released a statement denying the claim, saying the deceased sustained injury while playing football.
Following the incident, the Lagos State government ordered the indefinite closure of the school pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter. The school premises were also sealed off by the Lagos State Ministry of Education.
On Monday, news emerged that the Oromoni family hired human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, to handle their case.
The Falana and Falana Chambers, on behalf of the family, petitioned the chief coroner of Lagos State on Monday, demanding an inquest into the death of child.
The petition read in part, “We have been briefed by the family of the late Sylvester Oromoni, a student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, who died from the injuries he allegedly sustained from the beating by his colleagues who wanted him to join their cult.
“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.”
