Sylvester Oromoni Snr., the father of the late Sylvester Oromoni, the deceased student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos State, has called on the coroner involved in the case to end the inquest so that justice can be dispensed.
The late Sylvester allegedly died as a result of bullying, assault, negligence and administration of a poisonous substance in the school.
Following his demise, the Lagos State Government ordered an inquest to unravel the cause of death, which commenced on January 21, 2022, at the Magistrate Court, Epe (now Magistrate Court 20, Ogba).
A year after Sylvester’s passing, the coroner’s inquest is yet to be concluded and the father of the deceased who spoke in a signed statement in Warri, Delta State on Tuesday said if the inquest is not concluded before the end of 2022, he would be compelled to withdraw from it “in order to take a different legal step to seek justice.”
“As the father of the deceased, I cannot be tired or discouraged from pursuing justice as I have promised my son to get him justice even if it will take thirty years to achieve it.
“Today, November 30, 2022, makes it a year since the demise of my son and the body is still in the morgue, yet to be buried.
“This one-year memorial being held today is to tell Nigerians and the entire world about the current position of the inquest and the antics of Dowen College.
“I am equally aware that some civil society organisations and NGOs in Abuja and Lagos are equally observing the one-year memorial today to mark his one-year untimely demise.
“May the soul of Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr.) and all departed souls rest in perfect peace. Amen.
“At this point, I wish to call on the Honourable Coroner to please do the needful by urgently bringing the inquest to an end as Nigerians and the entire world are waiting for the dispensation of justice in this case as justice delayed, is justice denied.
“This struggle is not only about my late son but my own way of preventing the future occurrence of this tragic incident.
“In the same vein, we equally urge the Lagos State Government, as a matter of urgency to charge Dowen College and all the staff who had earlier been recommended for prosecution in the DPP Advice of 30th day of December 2021 to court.
“Already, Dowen College has since the commencement of this Coroner put a lot of things in order in the school premises which were not available at the material time.
“You may wish to know that the installation of CCTV cameras and a football pitch have been provided as against the former concrete basketball court which was being used.
“I must state categorically that if this inquest is not concluded before the end of this year, I shall be compelled to withdraw from it in order to take a different legal step to seek justice”, the statement reads.