The Lagos State government has absolved five Dowen College students and employees involved to Sylvester Oromoni’s death of any wrongdoing.
Ms Adetutu Oshinusi, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, cleared all five pupils, staff members, and the college of any wrongdoing in the 12-year-death. old’s
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In a legal opinion given to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, and the trial Magistrate, Olatunbosun Adeola, Oshinusi cleared the suspects.
She based her opinion on interim and final autopsy results from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, as well as toxicology reports from post-mortem samples and those from the Central Hospital in Warri, all of which supported Oromoni’s cause of death.
The toxicological results, according to Oshinusi, did not reveal the existence of any harmful or poisonous material in Oromoni’s body.
“There is no prima facie case of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and or malicious administering of poison with intent to harm against the five students, Favour Benjamin, 16, Micheal Kashamu (15), Edward Begue (16), Ansel Temile (14) and Kenneth Inyang (15),” she said, citing the results.
Because there were insufficient facts to prove the offence, the DPP cleared the students of membership to an illegal organisation.
According to Oshinusi, “available facts in the duplicate case file, the investigation carried out by the Police did not reveal that any secret society name, tattoo or insignia of any unlawful society was found in the possession of any of the suspects during the investigation carried out by the Police.
“To hold otherwise would amount to sniffing for an offence and a speculative act which is not permitted in law. It is trite law that suspicion no matter how grave cannot be a ground for conviction”.
In the report, the DPP ordered the release of all suspects still held in custody.
DAILY POST had reported that the 12-year-old boy died in November 2021, after he was allegedly bullied and tortured by five schoolmates.
Oromoni was said to have died as a result of torture from his schoolmates who tried to lure him into a cult group.
However, an autopsy released by Clement Vhriterhire, a Consultant Pathologist at the Central Hospital in Warri, Delta State said the child had acute lung injury, cerebral edema and sustained “bruised flanks/back.
In December 2021, a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ court in Lagos admitted the five suspected Dowen College students to a one million naira bail.
The police had levelled charges bordering on conspiracy and homicide on the suspected Dowen students.