Pathologist says blackish substance found in late Oromoni’s intestine

A Pathologist with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Sunday Soyemi has informed Coroner Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri, conducting inquest into the controversial death of Sylvester Oromoni Junior that blackish substance was found in the deceased intestine.

He also told the court that LASUTH does not have the facility to conduct toxicology, adding that the deceased died of Septicemia (Sepsis).

Soyemi disclosed this while he was cross-examined by the Oromoni family lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in an ongoing Inquest to unravel the cause of death of 12 years old, JSS two student of Dowen College in Lagos State.

The pathologists said the deceased was not tested for alleged poisoning, as LASUTH does not have the facility to conduct toxicology.

Explaining the reason for not conducting the toxicology, he said: “ I need to take the blood and the fluid, the vitreous and sent to the laboratory and the gastric content. All these were not available at the second autopsy.

“The stomach had been opened by the first pathologist and nothing was found. The blood, urine had been sucked out during embalming of the deceased by the hospital.”

Falana further asked if it was proper for one of the 14 persons present at the post mortem, Dr. Iwikwe Chikwodili Isabella who represented one of the accused students to speak on Arise TV about autopsy findings, the pathologist said, “That’s not the practice, it is not normal and not the usual thing.”

He also said he was embarrassed when the report was being discussed on TV.
Earlier in the proceeding, Dr Soyemi in his Evidence-in-Chief by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, had said the autopsy carried out on the deceased indicated a generalised infection of the body.

He described part of his finding as Lobar pneumonia. “It was infection of the lungs, the deceased also have infection of the liver, the kidneys, infection of right arm, the soft tissue of the muscles covering the bone below the ankle against all his findings.”

He said: “This could have been treated. What could have been used in treating him was massive doses of intravenous antibiotic, fluid and blood transfusion.”
He added that based on his finding, his illness could have been properly managed, if he was taken for proper treatment.

The pathologist also spoke on photographs particularly about the procedure and methods of the post mortem and faulted the initial pathologist, describing his examination as botched autopsy.

Other lawyers present also cross-examined the witness.

The coroner court therefore adjourned further hearing to February 14, 2022.