The father of late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr. has admitted to the Lagos Coroner’s Court that the deceased, his son Sylvester Jnr. was treated at home and not in a hospital.
The father, Sylvester Oromoni Sr., who was giving his evidence as a witness revealed this during questioning in the ongoing coroner inquest to determine the cause of death of his son, 11 year-old late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr.
In his cross examination by Mr. Godwin Omoaka, the counsel representing one of the students alleged to have been responsible for Sylvester’s death, the witness told the coroner’s court that his son was treated at home after the family doctor, Dr Aghogho Owhojede, told him that there was no private ward or room available at his hospital.
"He was taken to the hospital and the doctor said there was no private ward and he was taken back to the house. Later he was taken to St Leo Diagnosis for x-ray and scan.” Mr. Oromoni stated. When questioned further about the lack of evidence of a beating on the deceased, Mr. Oromoni responded that he would not be surprised as he noted that it depended on when the beating occurred. He said the beating did not occur on November 21, 2021. He further told the court that one of the students stated that Sylvester got injured on November 14, 2021.
The father also shared a timeline of the events leading up to the death of his son with the court.
He confirmed that his son was not taken to the hospital on Nov. 24, 2021 by the family and that he arrived Lagos from Delta at 6.00 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2021 after he was alerted by his family that his son was in a critical state.
He revealed that after he arrived Lagos, he took his son back to Dowen College, arriving at the school at 7. 00 p.m. to collect his belongings.
On Nov. 26, 2021, he left for Warri, Delta, with his son and arrived in the evening and that Oromoni Jnr was not taken to the hospital on that day.
“On Nov. 26, 27 and 28 2021, he was treated in my house on doctor’s directives.
“On Nov. 29, he was taken to St Louis Laboratory for a scan. We were referred by the doctor to go there.
“I was not there on that day because I had rushed to my house in Asaba, Delta to pick up something and I came back the next morning, which is Nov. 30, 2021.
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“He died on Nov. 30, 2021; I was already in Warri when he died. I was in the hospital when the doctor confirmed to us that he did not make it,” he said.
Upon being led further in evidence, Mr. Oromoni told court that after his son passed on from the clinic, he recalled the people that wanted to go and bury the boy and asked that the body be brought back to him.
"The corpse was brought back home. He was brought to the front of my gate and the police came, they took some photographs of the deceased and also did a video the body."
Mr. Oromoni further confirmed to the court that he granted interviews to various media houses. Mr. Omoaka prayed the court to order and asked that the four video clips of Mr. Oromoni’s interviews be watched in the courtroom.
The counsel representing Dowen College, Mr. Tony Kpokpo however told the court that the video clips of Mr. Oromoni’s interviews are already before the court and went on to state that even though the coroner was not bound by the rules of evidence, a cross examiner is not ordinarily bound to frontload a document intended to be used to contradict a witness. By the basic rules of fairness, it was proper that the video be accepted especially, when it would help throw light in the darkness and unveil the fact as they are and not as they are contrived to be.
Mr. Andrew Efole, the Oromoni family lawyer responded that, "the submission of Mr. Kpokpo was not whether the video should be admitted or not.” He clarified that the issue was to playing the video and served them the clips.
Mr. Akin George, the lawyer representing Lagos State had earlier requested that the video of the interview be played in the court to throw light on the ongoing inquest.
In the various footages, the witness was alleging that his son was dragged and severely beaten, and that his stomach was stumped upon by some senior students of the school.
Responding to more questions, Oromoni Snr revealed that he had never been to his son’s hostel at Dowen College. He however accepted that other students would have heard his son cry out if he was being beaten by alleged bullies.
When he was confronted with the fact that the family doctor told the court that no evidence of blunt force trauma was found on the deceased, the witness responded that he would be surprised. The coroner Magistrate on that note went ahead and adjourned further hearing to February 15, 2022
