"This is just a tactic to justify the reopening of the school" - Sylvester Oromoni's sister

Anabelle Oromoni, the sister of Sylvester Oromoni, a Dowen College student who died last year, has reacted after the Lagos State government said autopsy results showed her brother died a natural death.

Sylvester's family had said he was beaten up by older students and given a substance to drink.

They added that Sylvester named 5 of the boys who allegedly assaulted him.

However, the Lagos State Government later cleared the five students and five employees of Dowen College accused of complicity in the death of 11-year-old Sylvester Oromoni. The state cleared them as well as the school following the Legal Advice of the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Ms. Adetutu Oshinusi.

According to the advice, the interim and final autopsy reports issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and toxicology report of post mortem samples and that of the Central Hospital, Warri were in agreement as to the cause of death namely: Septicaemia, Lobar Pneumonia with Acute Pyelonephritis, Pyomyositis of the right ankle and Acute Bacteria Pneumonia due to severe Sepsis.

The result of the toxicology is also not indicative of any toxic or poisonous substance in the body of the deceased.

The DPP’s legal advice, therefore, concluded that based on these findings, there is no prima facie case of murder, involuntary manslaughter and or malicious administering of poison with intent to harm against the five students, Favour Benjamin aged 16, Micheal Kashamu (15), Edward Begue (16), Ansel Temile (14) and Kenneth Inyang (15).

Speaking during a radio interview on Nigerian Info, Sylvester's sister, Anabelle said the claim that her brother died a natural death is simply a tactic to justify the reopening of the school.

She added that in Nigeria, "there is always power plays involved".

Asked whether the family has seen the toxicology report that shows sylvester died a natural death, she said its been word of mouth and the government and police have refused to show them the report.

She said: "They haven't shown us anything.  We've been asking them to show us."