An autopsy has revealed that the student of Dowen College, Sylvester Oromoni, died of “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication in a background of blunt force trauma.”
A copy of the autopsy carried out by a consultant pathologist at the Central Hospital Warri, Clement Vhriterhire, was sighted by our correspondent on Saturday.
A medical expert, John Soper, said chemical intoxication or poisoning refers to a multitude of illnesses caused by the absorption of toxic chemical agents.
“Poisonings may be acute, subacute, or chronic and may be the result of accidental or intentional administration. Toxic chemicals may be absorbed by ingestion, injection, inhalation, or direct contact with the skin,” the expert said in a research work titled, ‘Principles of Medical Therapy in Pregnancy.
There had been reports that Oromoni died from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of the school for allegedly refusing to join their cult.
The 12-year-old boy died on November 30, 2020, after efforts to save his life failed.
His father had claimed that his child was beaten and fed a liquid chemical but Dowen College dismissed the claim.
The school claimed the boy sustained injuries while playing football with his colleagues.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command had released the housemaster and other staff of Dowen College, Lekki arrested in connection with Oromni’s death.
On Friday, the outgoing Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said the housemasters were released since the court order to remand them had expired.
Odumosu added that the police had concluded their investigations and forwarded its report to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and had received a response from the DPP.
He said, “Since the medical report has not indicted them so far, I think there is a need for them to have their freedom because bail is not the end of the case.”
But Sylvester’s father disagreed with the police, insisting that it was wrong to have released the Dowen College workers when things had not reached a logical conclusion.
Mr. Oromoni dared Odumosu to make the autopsy report public.
Sylvester’s father said, “The police have misled the Nigerian public and we are not comfortable with this. The police acted hurriedly. We sent the corpse to Lagos but why are they waiting for the toxicology report from Delta? Can’t they do it together with the autopsy they are conducting?”
Copyright PUNCH.
