A second prosecution witness, Peter Odewo-Oritse, an operations manager at KenBen Nig. Ltd., a company in Warri, Delta State owned by the father of late Sylvester Oromoni, has testified at the coroner’s inquest investigating the controversial death of the Dowen College Student.

The witness testified that he was at all material times around when the Late Sylvester Oromoni (“deceased”) was ill and receiving treatment. He also testified that on 29 th November 2021, the deceased informed him that on 21 st November 2021, five (5) students of Dowen College entered his room, switched off the lights, beat him with belts thoroughly and gave him a liquid substance to drink.

During cross examination by Mr. Ayi-Ekpenyong Imah, Counsel to one of the accused students, the witness admitted and agreed that he speculated that the deceased was beaten by some Dowen College Students, based on what he saw. He also admitted that he did not make any audio or video recordings of the moment the deceased purportedly revealed the names of those who beat him. He disclosed that it was just him and the deceased’s mother that was around in the room when the deceased mentioned the names of the students who allegedly beat the deceased. The Learned Counsel put it to him that the deceased neither told his mother nor the witness that he was beaten and poisoned by some Dowen College.

While answering questions from the lawyer to the Lagos State Government, Seun Akande, the witness testified that the deceased had an enlarged liver but was not immediately taken to a hospital.

Magistrate Mikail Kadiri sitting at the Epe Magistrate Court, Lagos, also heard that upon arrival in Warri, Delta State, the Oromoni family doctor, Aghoho Owhojede, attended to the boy who was treated for malaria. Based on the doctor’s instructions, a scan and an x-ray were later conducted on the boy, which results revealed among other things that the boy had a liver enlargement.

The witness said the Oromoni parents initially arranged with Dr Owhojede to take their son to the Delta State Teaching Hospital, Oghara for treatment but added that he was eventually taken to one Vicar Hospital on Nov. 30th where he was said to have later died. The witness also testified that the boy and his mother had first gone to church for prayers before the medical tests were carried out.

Furthermore, during cross examination by Mr. Anthony Kpokpo, Counsel to Dowen College, the witness disclosed that on 29th November 2021, the mother of the deceased took him to church to pray instead of the hospital while the deceased was still in severe pain. He also admitted that Sylvester did not inform him that he was given poison to drink but liquid substance. He said he did not know whether the liquid substance was a poison or not.

The witness also admitted that throughout the time Sylvester was in Warri, he was never taken to a hospital. When Mr. Kpokpo asked him where the deceased’s father was on the 29th November 2021, he said he was in Asaba

Also, during cross examination by Mr. Eze Ajibo, counsel to the one of the accused students, the witness also admitted that the deceased did not mention Edward Begue, who is one of the accused students.

At the last sitting of the court on Jan. 21st, the first witness, Clifford Tejire had told the coroner how he went to Dowen College on Nov. 23rd to pick the late Sylvester from school. He added that though the boy was in great pains, and his condition worsened, he was not instructed by the parents to take him to the hospital.

Oromoni, a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki, was later taken by road to Warri in Delta State where he eventually died on Nov 30th.

Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council, Lagos Chapter has filed an application seeking to be joined in the inquest. The coroner says the application will be considered at the next sitting of the court on Friday, Jan. the 28th.