The man who picked late Sylvester Oromoni from his school, Dowen College, Tejere Ogheneovo Clifford on Friday narrated to the Coroner’s Inquest sitting at Epe, Lagos the painful circumstances in which he met the deceased when he was called to check him up at the school.
This is just as the Lagos Chapter of Ijaw Youth Council, at a press conference formally announced engagement of the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Bayelsa, Chief Anthony George-Ikoli (SAN) to seek justice for the deceased, his family and the Ijaw people. Chief George-Ikoli, a former Attorney General of Bayelsa State is also to “ensure justice is done and seen to be done in the case arising from the death of the late Sylvester Oromoni(age 12) by ensuring that the full circumstances of his death and the remote and proximate causes thereof are made public; and that the perpetrators of the physical assault on late Sylvester Oromoni (which presumably led to his death) are brought to book”.
Lagos chairman of IYC, Mr Henry Oyobolo, who faulted the Lagos DPP advice of Jan. 4. at the media briefing insisted that his members will do everything legally possible, including protests to ensure justice is done in the case.
However, Tejere Clifford, a close family friend of the Oromonis told the Coroner’s Inquest sitting in Ikorodu how Keyness Oromoni, senior brother to the deceased called him on November 22, 2021 to help check on the deceased at school as there was information that he was sick.
Clifford said: “On Tuesday November 23, I was sent sent the phone number of the Housemaster, Mr Ahmed. When I got to the school, and then taken to the sick bay where Sylvester Oromoni was”. He added that he was surprised to find the deceased under the care of only one nurse. “I asked why he was not taken to the school hospital but the nurse could not provide an answer”, he said.
Clifford said that he met the deceased in severe pain. “When I asked him what was wrong with him, he said that he played football and sustained injuries. I then asked him to try to stand up. As he attempted to stand up, he showed signs of serious pains. I had to carry Sylvester to the car with the help of a staff because he could not walk”.
Clifford narrated how he called the father, how he took the deceased for an X-ray examination, which showed no sign of fracture. He narrated how he had to make a video call with the father to drive home the import of what the deceased was going through. Keyness according to him came the following day, and the father came on November 25 and they decided to take the deceased to Warri. He further narrated the pain the deceased went through on the way to Warri and how he eventually confessed to his father that he was beaten by some boys in the school, shortly before his death on November 30, 2022.
Further hearing is adjourned till January 27.
Dear readers, we really need your support to keep on serving you with authoritative, truthful, and juicy stories everyday. For your support, please reach out to the editor @gavelinternational66@gmail.com