Mikhail Kadiri, the magistrate conducting a coroner’s inquest into the death of Sylvester Oromoni, has threatened to summon one of the students of Dowen College accused of bullying the deceased for failing to show up in court.
This was after Samuel Inyang, father of the accused student, said his son had paroxysm after the police interrogated him and can’t make it to the court.
A paroxysm is a sudden attack or outburst of emotion or activity.
According to NAN, Inyang, a trader, testified on Monday at an Ikeja coroner’s court unraveling the circumstances surrounding the death of Oromoni.
He was being cross-examined by Akin George, counsel to the Lagos government.
Inyang said he was satisfied with advice from the Lagos directorate of public prosecutions (DPP) released on January 4.
“Ever since my son was detained and released, he has been going through a lot of trauma. He cries at night,” he said.
George referred Inyang to paragraph 17 of his witness statement on oath to ascertain the credibility of the medical condition of his son.
“You mentioned that your son has a medical condition. How did you know? Are you a doctor? Did you take him to a hospital for check-up?” George queried.
The witness responded: “My son has been shaking and weeping since he came back from the police station. He has paroxysm.”
Questioning him further, George said, “How did you come about the word – paroxysm? Do you know the meaning?”
The witness replied, “After my discussion with my lawyer, we came about the word – paroxysm.”
Probing the witness further, George asked if his son had no reason to appear before the coroner.
He replied in the affirmative.
During the court session, the coroner had objected to Inyang testifying.
Kadiri said the witness had no credible evidence to give because he was not the student.
“The witness is not relevant in the inquest. The actual witness is one of the students,” he added.
“I will prefer the witness (student) himself. If he does not want to come, I will have no choice but to summon him.
“The position of the deceased’s family is that he was beaten and given a poisonous substance.
“The witness in the box is not the student of the school. What evidence does he have to tender?”
Olumide Akinimi, counsel to Inyang, had prayed the court to allow him to testify since his son was a day student, not a boarder.
“My lord, the witness is here to testify that his son is a day student as against the notion that he is a boarder,” he had said.
The coroner adjourned proceedings to March 14.
Oromoni died on November 30, 2021, from injuries sustained in an attack alleged to have been carried out by five senior students of Dowen College.
It was also alleged that he was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.
Advice by the Lagos state DPP released on January 4, however, disputed the allegations.
It said an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.
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