Sylvester Oromoni buried in Warri — over two years after death

Sylvester Oromoni, the late Dowen College student, has finally been laid to rest over two years after his death.

The 12-year-old pupil was buried on Saturday in his family’s compound in Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri South West LGA of Delta.

Speaking at the ceremony, Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, described the deceased as “a great Nigerian whose life was cut short”.

“Sylvester touched the lives of his teachers, friends, and fellow students,” the lawyer added.

“I must thank his parents for standing and demanding justice for their son.”

Earlier this month, during the adoption of final written addresses by parties to the case, Mikhail Kadiri, the magistrate presiding over the coroner’s inquest on Oromoni, said the outcome of the court rounds would be made known on April 12.

Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr) died in November 2021 after he was alleged to have been beaten by five of his colleagues.

Dowen College dismissed the claim, alleging that the boy sustained injuries playing football with his friends.

Oromoni’s family had countered Dowen’s claim, arguing that their son had no health challenges before the incident.

They maintained that the boy would remain in the morgue pending a definite verdict from a coroner’s inquest into the matter.

An initial autopsy declared that Oromoni died of “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication” but the result was later discredited.

The department of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Lagos released a second result ruling that Oromoni died naturally.

The case has been in court since 2022 and the bereaved family vowed to pursue the matter up to the apex court.