Rosemary, the mother of late Dowen College student Sylvester Oromoni Jr., has passed away following a prolonged illness, two years after the tragic loss of her youngest son.
Family sources said Mrs. Oromoni died from grief and trauma-related issues that arose after medical experts pronounced Sylvester, former Down College student, dead.
It was learnt that the situation grew worse after the coroner sitting on her child’s death couldn’t reveal the identities of the perpetrators, forcing her to wait endlessly.
Sources confirmed the death yesterday, saying she died last week, November 25, 2024, but we are yet to make it public.
The sources added that Mrs. Oromoni, deeply affected by the loss, struggled with her health over the years, showing visible signs of emotional and physical deterioration.
They described her grief after the 12-year-old’s death as relentless, impacting her ability to eat, sleep, or resume her daily routine.
The devastating blow to the family has once again ignited public discussions about the systemic failings that contributed to Sylvester’s death.
In 2021, Chronicle NG reported that 12-year-old Sylvester Oromoni died as a result of severe injuries he sustained from bullying by his seniors.
In response, the Lagos State government arrested five students: Favour Benjamin (16), Michael Kashamu (15), Edward Begue (16), Ansel Temile (14), and Kenneth Inyang (15), along with some employees of Dowen College. However, subsequent investigations found the five students not guilty.
The Lagos state government decided to free the students due to the legal advice of the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Adetutu Oshinusi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, and the trial magistrate, Magistrate Olatunbosun Adeola.
The government clarified that the final autopsy report performed on the deceased student, issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and the Central Hospital, Warri, was in agreement that the cause of his death was due to septicaemia, lobar pneumonia with acute pyelonephritis, pyomyositis of the right ankle, and acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis and not bullying.
The Oromoni family now grieves the loss of both a beloved son and a devoted mother, whose memories serve as a poignant reminder of the need for justice and healing.
