As the Coroner inquest closed its inquiry yesterday, Rosemary Oromoni, the mother of the late Sylvester Oromoni Junior, a 12-year-old former student of Dowen College, Lekki, testified before the court.

In her testimony, Rosemary said that her son, Sylvester informed her that he was beaten in school, contrary to what school officials told him that he had injury during a football match.

The witness, who was summoned to testify before Magistrate Mikail Kadiri sitting in Ogba, Ikeja Magisterial division, said that his son did not have any prior health challenges before the incident that led to his death.

She also told the court that the deceased identified three students of the college who allegedly bullied him.

The bereaved mother, who was led-in-evidence by Mr Femi Falana (SAN) also, responded to questions from Magistrate Kadiri, amid tears.
She also narrated that Sylvester said the three students switched off the light before the alleged bully.

Rosemary further told the court that the deceased returned from school with high temperature, peeled lips and swollen hips.

While responding to questions from Mr. Anthony Kpokpo, counsel representing the school during the cross-examination, she was asked whether her son suffered any infection before the health challenges that led to his death and she replied, “ No.”

The witness added that she could not take the deceased to the hospital in the first three days of his return from Lagos to Delta State because the hospital had no space.
Kpokpo further asked whether she was the figure seen in a video that surfaced on social media showing a woman holding and supporting the deceased to walk, to which she replied no.

Another counsel to one of the alleged students, Mr. Nosa Iyamu, asked the witness whether she recorded the videos to send to the school, Dowen College, she said yes, that the videos were made for the school.

Magistrate Kadiri asked her to confirm if she wrote the police statements contained in the documents he had with him. She answered in the affirmative.

The court admitted the documents and statements in evidence, as there were no objections from counsel, and adjourned to November 20, for adoption of written addresses.