Lagos Police Ban Protests Over Sylvester Oromoni’s Death

The 12-year-old student of Dowen College died last November after struggling with health problems originally reported by the school as sustained while playing football.

His family has since claimed the deceased told them he was actually assaulted and forced to drink a chemical substance by fellow students who wanted him to join their cult group.

Lagos government shut down the school pending investigation, and five students and five school staff were detained and questioned.

However, they were all cleared this week when the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) ruled that there was no evidence to establish wrongdoing.

The ruling has caused public condemnation of the authorities’ conduct, and sparked protests in front of the school on Thursday, January 6, 2022.

Reacting, Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, warned at a press conference on Friday, January 7 that such demonstrations will not be tolerated in the future.

The police boss stated that a transparent and diligent investigation was conducted before the announcement of the ruling.

Any objections, he said, should be directed to a court of law and not to protests that could lead to breakdown of law and order.

He expressed;

Much as we commiserate with the bereaved family on the death of their lovely and promising child, it is advised that the protesters and other individuals or groups who are still aggrieved should go to law court to seek redress instead of taking the law into their own hands. Thus members of the public who may have any misgivings about the outcome of the police investigation, medical enquiry and legal advice with this case are advised to follow due process in law rather than resorting to self-help. The police will not fold their arms and allow any act or omission that could threaten the peace being enjoyed in the state.

Despite the DPP’s ruling, a coroner’s inquest into Oromoni’s death will commence on January 15.

His family has rejected the ruling, and demanded the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari, and Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba.
Sylvester Oromoni, the father of the victim, also restated the family’s commitment to get justice, saying that he would not bury his son even if it takes 30 years to get justice.

He also kicked against the report of the autopsy carried out at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, alleging that there was foul play.