Falana reacts to Lagos Government's exoneration of Dowen students from Sylvester Oromoni's death

The legal advice issued by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Adetutu Osinusi, exonerating the staff and five students of Dowen College arrested over the death of an 11-year-old student of the school, Sylvester Oromoni, was hasty, according to Femi Falana (SAN), a well-known Nigerian human rights lawyer

It was previously reported that the DPP, in a legal advice sent to the police and the court handling Oromoni's death case, stated that two autopsies conducted on the deceased's body failed to establish a case of murder, and that a final autopsy report issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and toxicology report of post-mortem samples established the cause of death as Septicaemia, Lobar Pneumonia with Acute Pyelonephritis, Pyomyosit Monetize your Facebook

As a result, the state government concluded that there was no prima facie case of murder, involuntary manslaughter, or malicious administration of poison with intent to harm against the suspects Favour Benjamin (16), Micheal Kashamu (15), Edward Begue (16), Ansel Temile (14) and Kenneth Inyang based on the findings (15).

In response to this event, Falana, the Oromoni family's lawyer, stated that the legal advice had not put to rest the claims of murder leveled against the accused. He said that the legal advice was rushed because the Lagos State Chief Coroner had ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sylvester Oromoni's unnatural death.

The inquest, which began before the Coroner on December 16, 2021, has been postponed until January 15, 2022, according to Falana.

His statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to the report issued by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of Lagos State dated January 4, 2022 which has purportedly cleared five students and five employees of Dowen College of any complicity in the death of the 12-year old Sylvester Oromini Jr.

However, the report has not laid the allegations surrounding the gruesome murder of Sylvester Oromoni to rest. The report is escapist and hasty as the Authorities are aware of the fact that the Chief Coroner of Lagos State has ordered that an inquest be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the unnatural death of Sylvester Oromoni.

The inquest which commenced before the Coroner on December 16, 2021 has been adjourned to January 15, 2022 for further hearing.”

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