Ijaw Youths , the ethnic group the late 12 year- old student of Dowen College, Sylvester Oromoni belonged has staged a protest in front of the college to demand for Justice for their kin.
The protest followed clearance of the suspected actors in the bullying and eventual death of the little boy and proposed opening of the college next Monday.
The protesting youths who said they were expressing their” anger and grievances” over the hurried clearance of the suspected” killers” of Oromoni jnr following the” fake and corrupt report” of the Director of Public Prosecution DPP without trial, vowed to occupy the school should the government go ahead with the opening date.
According to the leader of the Lagos Chapter, Henry Oyogbolo , nothing will stop them from getting justice for the deceased saying” If they open this school on Monday, the whole Ijaw Nation will gather here” adding no amount of threat or use of force would deter them.
The Oromoni family also citing alleged deceit and unfairness on the part of the Lagos state government has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari for intervention
Father of the deceased boy in a letter on January 4,2021 raised pertinent questions surrounding the murder of his son.
According to him, the deceased had testified of being bullied by the 5 students who also gave him substances to drink.He asked” in whose custody was my late son Sylvester Oromoni Jnr at all material times when the substance was forcefully admistered to him?
“The management of Dowen College claimed that my late son sustained the injury while playing football, All evidence gathered so far has shown that this is not the true story but a way to cover up their negligence. Based on the outcome of the autopsy report which contradicts the story of Dowen College,it is my firm belief that there is a conspiracy among the officials of Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Command to cover up the circumstances surrounding the death of my son,,late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr.”
The Oromoni family also suspected foulplay in the untimely bail granted the suspected students who were expected to be remanded for a period of 21 days. They also raised eyebrows in the hurried conclusion of investigation by the police and lack of transparency in the autopsy conducted in Lagos.
Sylvester Oromoni,a JSS 2 student of Dowen College in high brow Lekki of Lagos died on November 30,2021 following what autopsy report revealed was caused by ankle injury.
Leaving his grip on his parents in Warri at such a tender age to seek good education in far away Lagos was presumably a dream for the late boy and his parents to bring to fruition.
But rather than that dream meeting a satisfactory fulfilment, violence has forced the life out of the innocent child and sent him to an early grave. The good education for which he sought and travelled from his ancestral home to far away Lagos was never fulfilled.
What however is a sad reminder of late Oromoni Jnr is his pictures in the social media, tears from his parents and sympatizers, cacophony of lawyers and public analysts and lately, the Ijaw Youths protest.
Dowen College prides itself as institution that centres on students with the desire to produce balanced global leaders
According to the Mission statement of the school, ” Every decision made seeks to enhance the value added to the life of each student of Dowen College Lagos because we believe in the total development of the students morally, mentally and physically.
Good as this philosophy of the school might be, Oromoni’s life was cut short before any value from the school could be added to his life. it is rather unfortunate that a question mark has been put on the credibility of the school against the circumstances surrounding the death of Oromoni and barrage of questions raised.
