Legal Expert Falana Slams Coroner For Ignoring Key Evidence In Sylvester Oromoni Case

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has criticized the ruling of Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri, the Coroner who conducted the investigation into the death of Sylvester Oromoni, a 12-year-old student at Dowen College in Lekki, Lagos State. According to a report by Naija News, delivered on Monday, the Coroner absolved Dowen College of responsibility and attributed the death of the student to the negligence of the family doctor.

Falana expressed concern over the Coroner’s decision to overlook the evidence provided by the government pathologist regarding the “black substance” found in the deceased’s stomach, which was not subjected to toxicological examination. There were allegations that the deceased was forced to ingest a poisonous substance.

In his statement, Falana highlighted that the Acting Director of Public Prosecution of Lagos State had initially recommended prosecution of some staff and students for criminal negligence related to bullying incidents at the school. However, the recommendation was later withdrawn without new evidence from police investigators. The Coroner ruled that the Acting DPP had the authority to withdraw recommendations at any time.

Medical experts testified that the deceased died of sepsis, possibly caused by excessive massaging of his leg. However, Falana pointed out that the Coroner ignored the fact that the school’s doctor and nurses had massaged the leg for two days before informing the parents.

In an apparent effort to absolve Dowen College of blame, the Coroner did not address evidence of bullying against the deceased, his sister, and other students by the same group of students. Despite testimonies from witnesses who saw the deceased being beaten and tortured by senior students, the Coroner concluded that the death was due to natural causes.

Falana criticized the Coroner for attributing the death to the negligence of the family doctor without referring the doctor to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for appropriate disciplinary action.

The Coroner’s ruling has raised questions about accountability and justice in the case, particularly regarding the handling of evidence and the treatment of bullying incidents at Dowen College.

For more information join our WhatsApp group by clicking the link here: WhatsApp Group Invite