Oromoni: Court bars journalists, others from inquest

A coroner sitting in an Ikeja magistrates’ court yesterday barred journalists and other interested parties from covering and witnessing the inquest.

The case aims to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lagos, Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that family members, sympathisers and friends already seated in court were sent out by the registrar.

The registrar said the hearing was mainly for lawyers, urging journalists and other interested parties to leave the courtroom.

It was learnt that the decision was taken because one of the students of Dowen College accused of beating the late Sylvester was in court to testify. At the time of filing this report, some of the deceased’s family members were still locked out, except the father, Mr Sylvester Oromoni (Snr).

Oromoni’s family had alleged that the student died on November 30, 2021, from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of the college.

The family also alleged that he was attacked for his refusal to join a cult and was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.

Advice by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) released on January 4, 2021, however, disputed the allegations.

It stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.