• Over 200,000 persons sign petition against barbaric act
By Olusegun Olanrewaju
Pressure mounted nationwide yesterday following the death of a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos State. Sylvester Oromoni, died after he was reportedly bullied and tortured by his classmates.

His death is sparking a nationwide outcry, with many including celebrities calling for all those involved in his death to be arrested and prosecuted. There have been claims and counter claims on the actual cause of the death. While there are some reports of an alleged cult-initiation attempt, the student’s father in an online media platform claimed that his child was beaten and fed with a liquid substance.

But the school, it was also gathered, had also earlier dismissed the claim, alleging that the deceased “only sustained injuries while playing football with his colleagues ‘.
Meanwhile, two petitions, one prompted by a family relation and another by an NGO, Irede Foundation, had by yesterday night called for an urgent probe into the gruesome murder of the student, even as a probe into the bullying-related death is being probed by the Lagos State government.

By last night, some 65,000 petitions calling for the trial of the culprits, whom the parents of the child said had been named before the death, had been collected by civil and other rights groups. Other groups said over 200,000 signatories also called for drastic measures against the culprits when apprehended.

Also yesterday, the father promised that the killers would not go free. According to the father of the deceased, Sylvester Oromoni (Snr), the Junior Secondary School two (JSS 2) pupil had died from the injuries he sustained during an assault by some colleagues who wanted to initiate him into cultism.

The school, however, claimed that the boy died after sustaining an injury during a football match. The authorities of the school stated that they were open to a probe.
The father had earlier picked out names of five boys he alleged were involved in the pre-death bullying and beating of his son. Oromoni Snr, also said the teachers, security men, and other officials of the school must explain the cause of the death of his son, promising that “the torturers won’t escape justice”.

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The deceased boy would have celebrated his 12th birthday on Saturday, December 4. According to the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Sylvester’s death “is one of the disheartening deaths resulting from bullying and molestations in boarding secondary schools of late.”

The umbrella body of students in the country also cited the similar cases of such nature that occurred to Karen-Happuch Akpagher at Premier Academy, Lugbe, Abuja, who had died of sexual molestation in June 2021, and Don Davies at Deeper Life High School, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, who had also narrowly escaped death in December 2020 when his mother raised the alarm of alleged sodomy of her emaciated son.

Sylvester’s father said: “I’m glad he named them before dying.” Also, following a national outrage the case has attracted since Oromoni’s death, the federal and state governments said they have taken several actions to ensure justice is done in this mindless killing of a child of promise.

The Lagos State Government on Friday ordered the indefinite closure of the school, pending the outcome of an investigation into the death. Commissioner for Police, Hakeem Odumosu, on Saturday, also ordered the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department SCID), Panti, Yaba, to take over the probe of the matter immediately. In their separate reactions, the Delta State government called for ‘punishment’ for the culprits while the Niger Delta youths have advised the government to ensure justice for the late Sylvester Oromoni.

Petitions galore
A petition triggered by family members of the deceased, Timi Oromoni, entitled, ‘Justice For Sylvester Oromoni Jnr’, it was gathered, had by yesterday afternoon attracted over 65,000 signatures.

Earlier, an online platform, Change.org has also reported that more than 100,000 persons had signed two petitions on the killing, demanding the swift prosecution of all those responsible for the gruesome death of a young teenager who was a boarding student of the college.

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The petition had read in part, “On Tuesday 30/11/2021 we lost our brother, 12 years old Sylvester Oromoni Jnr… He was taken from us in the most gruesome of manners, beaten by five senior boys in his hostel in Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos State. “The students are from influential families, and the school is trying to bury the case. Sign and help us find justice for Sylvester Oromoni Jnr. It’s our fight; he could be your son, your brother, your cousin. #justiceforsylvester”.
According to reports, the second petition was championed by The Irede Foundation. Entitled, ‘We Want Justice for Sylvester’, it has attracted over 50,000 signatures as of press time.

It read in part, “We need the police to act immediately and investigate the circumstances and events that led to his death. We’re asking the Lagos Commissioner for Education, Folashade Adefisayo and officials of the Lagos State Universal Education Board, and the Federal Ministry of Education to probe allegations of bullying and negligence. “We’re asking for a thorough and transparent investigation and prosecution of those found to be culpable in this tragic incident. Justice must be served and seen to be served for 12-year-old Sylvester and his family.”

Reactions
The Lagos State government, according to the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, said the government had sealed off the college.

NANS called for immediate arrest of the school principal, housemaster and urged foreign missions in Nigeria to ensure that “suspects do not sneak foreign into their countries. The student’s body said it had alerted foreign missions to deny entry to the five students alleged to be involved in the murderous bullying of the deceased to a point of coma, which led to his eventual death ‘on November 30, 2021’.
NANS also called for the swift arrest of key officials of the Lekki-based school.

How he died -Father
Delta State-born Mr. Sylvester Oromini, a businessman, narrated the circumstances leading to the death of his son, Sylvester Jr. He said he died after some senior students at the college allegedly tortured him.

An Ijaw man from Warri, Delta State, traced the death of his son to a school dormitory arrangement by the school authorities which put the senior and junior students in the same rooms.

The boy had complained of an ailment which the family passed off as ‘fever or malaria. The matter later got worse until the boy was showing great signs of greater ailments such as swollen liver and internal organs. “The next day, I took him to the teaching hospital. Before we got to Warri, he had given up the ghost. So, we couldn’t take him to the hospital again.

According to him, the boy mentioned some names before his death.
His words: “They called the boys (the school authorities) to question them and they gave the same lie my son had been telling before his passing – he fell. The school chose to believe these lies without due investigation. You must have seen their press statement. That is what they maintained until we started sending out these videos and pictures we made of Sylvester when we saw him. “The principal called me, asking why I was sending out these pictures all over social media. The Lagos State Government also asked about the videos and we sent them. The boys still refuse to say the truth even in the face of striking evidence.

“I heard one of them jumped over the fence yesterday (Thursday). The other boy’s parents, as I heard, came in with a very long convoy around 5am and took him away. The boy carried all his things and joined his parents, who were waiting in the car. I don’t know how true that is, but that was the information my sources fed me with.

“They feel they are big men. The school authorities would provide them when the time comes. They should keep running. After killing my son, they want to run away. I am just thankful that my son before he gave up the ghost, mentioned their names. If they allow them to escape, this means they are encouraging that kind of nonsense in their school.

What are your demands?
“I want justice. They should invite those boys. They should invite the school authorities. The government should question them and take action.

“My son was a very decent boy from a deeply-rooted Christian background. He was not the first child that I sent to Dowen College, Lagos. I had four of them attend that school of which two had finished. The very first one who left is presently abroad. The other one just sat this last WASSCE and she’s here with me. The other one should be in SS1. I asked that he be withdrawn from the school two days ago. Sylvester was the last boy.

Meanwhile, the Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has reacted to the death of the student who was alleged to have been mercilessly beaten up by some senior colleagues “for refusing to join a cult group”.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Okowa vowed that his administration will ensure the student, who is from Warri south LGA in Delta, gets justice. I pray that Almighty God gives them the strength that they need at this difficult time.”

We’re ready for probe -Dowen College
In another development, the management of Dowen College has expressed its readiness to assist the Lagos State Ministry of Education and the Nigeria Police Force in unravelling the cause of the death of its 12-year-old student, Sylvester Oromoni.

Oromoni’s death became public knowledge after a family member, identified as Perri, posted about the incident on social media. Last week Wednesday, a family member alleged that the Junior Secondary School 2 pupil died from the injuries he sustained during an assault by fellow students who wanted to initiate him into cultism.

Using his Twitter handle, @Perrisonoromoni, he claimed that before his cousin died, he identified five pupils who brutalised him for refusing to join a cult. But the school described the incident as a tragic and unfortunate incident that transpired in November, adding that Sylvester’s untimely death requires a thorough and proper investigation.

Outlining its response, the school stated that the first steps it took, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, had been to immediately close the school to aid inquiry. Describing the incident as tragic and unfortunate, the management prayed that God comforts the Sylvester’s and their well-wishers. “We are assisting the authorities to get to the bottom of this heart-breaking incident. “Understandably, at this time of intense grief and suffering, emotions are raw and tensions are high. We pray that God, who alone knows how to comfort the sorrowing, will comfort

Sylvester’s family and all those who loved and knew him. “He was dearly loved by his teachers, his fellow students and he was a beacon of light for the school,” the authorities stated.
Niger Delta groups called for stricter government regulations of public and private schools to guarantee the safety of pupils and students. Their youth council said such ugly incidents could be replicating in other schools.

The group pledged to partner with relevant security agencies to fish out school administrators that compromised the safety of their pupils and students.