Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has reacted to the tragic death of a 12-year-old student of Dowen College in Lekki, Sylvester Oromoni Junior, who was allegedly killed by his colleagues for refusing to join a cult group.
In a statement issued on Saturday Morning, Governor Okowa revealed that he spoke to the father of the late student, Sylvester Oromoni, vowing that his administration will ensure the 12-year-old boy, who is from Warri south LGA in Delta, gets justice.
The statement reads, “Last night, I spoke to Mr. Sylvester Oromoni, the father of late Sylvester Oromoni Jr., the Dowen College student who unfortunately died under very controversial and unclear circumstances,”
“During the call, I expressed my agreement with the decision of the Lagos State government to launch an investigation into the death of Sylvester, a native of Warri South LGA in Delta State.
“As a government that places priority on the lives of our citizens within and outside the state, we are determined to pursue this case to the end. The matter must be investigated, perpetrators apprehended, punished, and made an example of, to serve as a very strong deterrence against future occurrences.
“As we continue to watch this case closely, we extend our prayers and support to the Oromoni family. As they mourn the loss of their young son, I pray that Almighty God gives them the strength that they need at this difficult time.”
Death Of Dowen College Student, Sylvester Oromoni
KanyiDaily recalls that a cousin of the deceased, Perrison Onomoni, who broke the news on his Twitter handle, had alleged that Sylvester was beaten to death by five students over his refusal to join their cult group.
Perrison explained that the boy was battered on Friday but later died on Tuesday after a series of tests and X-rays indicated that he sustained internal injuries.
He said that after Sylvester’s death, the school management had reached out to the deceased’s father and told him that his boy sustained injuries while playing football at the school.
Speaking with TheCable, the student’s father narrated how his son was tortured and fed a chemical substance for refusing to join the cult group, adding that the boy suffered liver enlargement due to congealed blood before his death.
Reacting to the allegation, Dowen College debunked claims that Sylvester was beaten to death by suspected cultists in the school, claiming that the deceased sustained injuries while playing football.
The Management of Dowen College insisted that preliminary investigation conducted by the school authorities revealed that there was no fighting, bullying or any form of attack on Sylvester.
The school claimed that one of the hostel parents reported that the boy was injured while playing football, and a resident registered nurse immediately administered first aid on him and later called the student’s mother to inform her of the situation.
Subsequently, the student complained of having pains in his hip and was attended to again, this time by a doctor and a nurse, and thereafter the resident doctor called his mother requesting that she come for him so that he could get further medical attention.
The school further said it had carried out a preliminary investigation before the boy’s death and confirmed that there was no case of bullying as no part of his body was broken or injured, adding that it has policies that are strongly anti-cultism.
The management of Dowen College had announced that the school will shut down its academic operations for two days due to the continued outrage tailing the death of the student.
But in a statement on Friday, the Lagos State Ministry of Education said the school has been shut down ‘indefinitely’ to allow for investigations into how Sylvester Oromoni died under allegedly controversial circumstances on Tuesday.
The Lagos State Government also sympathized with the family of Sylvester, noting that delegates had been sent to the school to investigate the shocking incident, adding that the state was indeed sad about this great loss.
