OROMONI CAN’T REST IN PEACE…UNTIL
The pathetic story of Sylvester Oromoni, late student of Dowen College, Lagos, who was murdered by alleged cultists, came to an anti-climax when the police released all suspects and, after medical report claimed he died of natural causes, closed the case and reopened the school.
BEATS sought the opinions of some experts on the issue. Below are their views:
PATRICT DOYLE, NOLLYWOOD ACTOR
The Sylvester Oromoni saga is far from over in my opinion. The insensitive glee with which the school and initial suspects were exonerated by the police and Lagos state director of public prosecution smacks of a coverup conspiracy. The coroner’s inquest may reveal some interesting twists and turns. The Oromoni family attorney, Femi Falana is sure to make the inquest very interesting.
OWOLABI ADEBOLA, CRIME EXPERT AND EDITOR
To me, it was a travesty of justice. I had expected a thorough and not shoddy Investigation. However, my position might have been laced with emotions considering the fact that I am a father. Be that as it may, scientific approach was expected to be unbiased, undiluted and wholesome. But our environment does not allow for empirical form of investigation.
Investigation of this nature is often tainted because of a lot of interests. Remember, the owner of the school is into the business of making money. What I am saying in essence is that, the effect of conduct on reputation. Therefore, let us believe the autopsy report. God Almighty is the only King of the light. Only Him can shed light into the darker parts of our lives. Thank you.
CHRIS ORJI, CRIME EDITOR, THE SUN
In all sincerity, the Police have done their best. Their duties are to arrest and investigate which they successfully did. The suspects, five students and three House masters were apprehended and remanded. The police went as far as taken remand order from a competent Court to remand the suspects.
While the students who are minors were kept at Ojota remand home, the staffs were kept at SCIID, Panti Yaba. Even though the matter was not officially reported at any police station, the police still investigated.
They police watched all the videos which were viral on the social media and still listened to some complaints on the social media. The police went as far as Delta State and Abuja to interview the deceased parents and some students who had gone home immediately the school was shut down by the State Government. The police requested for the CCTV cameras, but none was fixed in the hostel where the incident allegedly happened.
The opened a case file and after their Investigation, no student came out to say that he witnessed where they maltreated the deceased and the arrested suspects denied ever torturing Sylvester. Good, the police now relied on autopsy and toxicology reports, but the pathologists claimed that the boy died of natural death.
The police allowed the individual families to do separate autopsy after which they unanimously picked another pathologist to do another one and the police invited all the families who went for the test. Because of the sensitive nature of the case, the police took the case file to DPP for legal advice and after reading the results of all the tests conducted on the deceased, the DPP claimed that those arrested have no case to happen. We should not misunderstand the issue.
Once the Police have no concrete evidence to nail the suspects who’s asked for bail after 21 days of remand order expired, the police had no option than to release the suspects. Second, what can the police do when autopsy and toxicology reports have said that the boy died of a natural cause and what could the police have done when the DPP has advised that the suspects had no case to answer? The police are handicapped and cannot do anything except the corona Court that is doing the inquest orders for more Investigation.
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