More than two years after a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lagos, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, died on November 30, 2021, under controversial circumstances, the father, Sylvester Oromoni Snr, speaks with VICTORIA EDEME ahead of the burial today
What are your thoughts on the coroner’s inquest into your son’s death?
The proceedings of the coroner’s inquest into my son’s death were part of the reasons for the delay in his burial. However, I don’t see anything strange in the proceedings. Honestly, I’m satisfied with the way the case is going. So far, so good; the record of proceedings that the court gave to us was exactly what took place. There were no changes to the evidence they recorded. The magistrate has been keeping the record. If they bring the record and it’s exactly what I want, I don’t have an issue. Apart from the delay in the matter, I’ve not seen anything strange from both the magistrate and the state.
Is anyone still in custody concerning your son’s death?
Nobody is in custody concerning my son’s death. Those arrested have all been released. They were coming to court during the inquest. The outcome of the coroner’s inquest will let us know the next step to take.
Your son died on November 30, 2021. Did you delay his burial because of the coroner’s inquest?
Yes, that is it. I have got the record of the proceedings and I’m satisfied. So, I can go ahead with the burial.
The coroner’s inquest began in January 2022 and the results will be made public in April this year. What do you think is the cause of the delay?
I don’t know. I think it has to do with the findings. They have their way of doing their investigations. I don’t know the reason for the delay, but I’ve got what I wanted, which is the record of the proceedings.
Do you suspect any foul play?
No, I don’t suspect any foul play. It’s only God that knows if there’s any foul play. If there’s any foul play, it is supposed to affect the record of proceedings. I don’t know if the delay is natural. I can’t say much about the delay.
What will you do if you are not satisfied with the result of the coroner’s inquest?
I will not let it be. I will proceed to the next level if I’m not satisfied. Whatever the result is, whether negative or positive, I will still go on. Until I get justice for my son, I won’t rest. I pray for God to keep me alive. Until I get to the end, even if it is the Supreme Court, I will get there. But with the record of proceedings that I have seen, I am satisfied. I give it to the magistrate for this one. The magistrate tried for him to give us exactly what the witnesses said, and bring it out exactly. We were not taking records. He was the one taking the records. So by the time he brings it out, if there were changes, we would have known because we were also writing. But he brought it out exactly the way it was recorded. That is enough for me to bury my son and continue the case. That was exactly what I was waiting for.
What more do you expect from the case?
I can’t take the case anywhere. When my son died, they brought him to my compound and I spoke to the corpse. I promised him that if God keeps me alive, I’m going to fight for justice for him even if it takes 30 years. I must get justice for my son. I won’t stop. This is just the beginning. After the burial, the case continues. That is when Nigeria will know that I am ready for this matter.
What do you intend to do then?
The case is still on. So, whatever I’ll do will be known after the burial while we’re still waiting for the judgment of the coroner’s inquest. Anyhow the judgment goes, I’ll proceed to another court; a higher court, until we get to the end. The court has fixed April 12 at the latest for the judgment.
Why did you choose now to go ahead with the burial?
We’ve been keeping it for too long. They operated on my son in Lagos and Warri; on his brain and other parts of his body. So, there is no need to keep him any longer. The body is getting too dry. I need to lay him to rest. I don’t want to keep him there (in the mortuary) again. Even when I bury him, I can continue with the case.
But you kept him till the case got headway before you proceeded with the burial plan?
Of course, if I had not got the record of proceedings, I wouldn’t proceed to bury him. I wanted to see if it would come out clear the way it was recorded and it came out clear. The evidence came out the same as it was recorded.
How are preparations going for the burial?
You all are invited. The burial is on Saturday, January 27, 2024, and we are preparing. He’s a small boy but with the way he died, a lot of people are coming. A lot of people are coming from the North, Lagos, and everywhere. Even some groups in Lagos are conducting a press briefing on the burial.
In some traditions, they believe that the burial of young people should be done without ceremonies. What are your thoughts on that?
There is no party. We’re just honouring my young son. We have T-shirts and other branded items for people who would like to put them on. There’s also a banner that has been done for the burial. People are coming from Asaba and its environs. Some television stations will also be covering the event. When they get to my house in Warri, they will get to my village, Ogbe-Ijoh. We’ll be driving around.
Why did you decide to give your son a public burial?
I decided to make his burial public because the case is no longer about my son. It has gathered the interest of other people in the country.
So far, what has the school done concerning the case?
They’ve not done anything. They have been cooperating with the coroner’s inquest.
The school was shut for a while after your son’s death. What do you feel about the reopening?
The school was only shut for a month or so. The closure of the school was just for a short period. I felt bad after the school was reopened, but it’s the Lagos State Government that knows what they are doing. All I know is that the truth will come out.
What action would you have preferred the government to take upon the school?
The court knows the preferred action. My son was in the school’s custody. The principal represented the parents of my son at the time the incident happened. At the end of the day, the appropriate punishment will be given if it comes out in my favour.
What is your advice to other schools to avoid a recurrence of what happened to your son?
This fight for justice is in everyone’s interest. That is why we’re in court. If it comes out clear that my son was beaten and poisoned, and that was what led to his death, then appropriate sanctions will be meted out. It will stand as a deterrent to other schools and other students. So, it’s in the interest of everyone. I also want Nigerians to know the truth if my son was beaten up and poisoned. That is just what I’m fighting for.
Did you get any compensation after your son’s death?
I am not doing this for any compensation. Even if the truth is out and anyone offers to compensate me, I will tell them to go away with their money. I’m not fighting for money. I just want the truth about what led to his death. That is what I’m after. I’m not after money. So far, such has not been done and I will not even give room for that kind of discussion. Even if there is any move like that, I will not accept it.
How has your family been putting up with the incident so far?
My other children in the United States and Canada recently called me on a group call and they were all crying. What would they do? I will not allow them to come for the burial.
Why won’t you allow them to come for the burial?
They won’t come. I don’t want them to come and cry and fall sick. Let them see the pictures on social media and the rest. But physically, I will not allow them to come and experience it. It’s not a very good experience.
As your children overseas will not be joining, which immediate family members will be available for the burial?
I have my brothers. My elder brother is a king. We’ll be in the village in his palace. We have people coming from far and wide. Journalists and lawyers will be present. Missionaries are also coming from the North. That was what they told me. I have not seen them, but that day we’ll see everyone. A lot of people are coming to honour this boy. It is no longer about the Oromoni family again.
Your wife has not been vocal in the public about your son’s death and she was the last to testify in court during the coroner’s inquest. How has she been faring since the incident?
She cries every time. She was the last to come to court. If you were in court, you would have seen the drama she displayed. If you saw what happened, you’ll know that this matter is not near its end. I can’t describe all the actions that took place. She rained curses on anyone in court who had the facts about the case, that the culprits had confessed to the crime and their parents knew, but were still stressing us and hiding the truth. She stood in the centre of the courtroom and cursed anybody who had been collaborating and taking bribes to avert justice. She rained curses that anybody who knew about the case and was taking bribes, their children yet unborn, their grown children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren would all go down. She said that let what happened to her happen to anyone who knows the truth and is taking sides. That day was something else.
Aside from the judgment of the court, are you expecting the government to do anything?
If the government wants to do something, the matter is already with them. The court is also a part of the government. If they get the truth and they want to do something, it’s fine. I’m not consulting any government whatsoever. It’s a fight I’m carrying alone. God is the one helping me. I know that with God, we’d get justice for my son. This fight can’t be in vain. We are all human beings. If you’re going to court and it is something that will not give you results, there’s no point. But I’m saying that I know what killed my son. They killed my son. They beat and poisoned him. I already know. So, the fight will not end until I get justice.
