(OPINION) The Late Sylvester Oromoni – By Charles Ogbu

At the resumed hearing this past Thursday, Peter Odeworitse, a family friend and the operations manager of a company, KenBen Nig Ltd owned by the deceased’s father, said upon their arrival in Warri on November 26, 2021, Mr Oromoni called the family’s doctor, Aghogho Owhojede to come and attend to his son, and that he was treated for malaria for three days.

If there is anything the ongoing Coroner’s inquest into the death of Sylvester Oromoni, the deceased 11 year old Dowen college student should teach us, it is that mob action, whether on the street or on social media is a very terrible thing which should be discouraged by any society that wishes to make progress. And if we truly want a working society, we must learn to allow the facts guide us AT ALL TIME even if the facts do not align with our expectations.

So far, the witnesses that testified at the inquest all came from the family of Oromoni and if their testimonies are anything to go by, it is very safe to say the boy MOST PROBABLY wouldn’t have died had the parents and perhaps the family doctor been a little bit less negligent in their responsibility to the lad.

On the January 21 sitting of the court looking into the teenager’s death, the first witness, Clifford Tejire called by the Oromoni’s family told the court that he went to the deceased’s school, Dowen College on November 23, 2021 to pick him up after he purportedly sustained injuries while playing football but that though Sylvester Jnr was in great pains and his condition worsened while he was in his care in Lagos, he wasn’t instructed by the parents to take the JSS 2 student to the hospital but to bring him over to Warri.

At the resumed hearing this past Thursday, Peter Odeworitse, a family friend and the operations manager of a company, KenBen Nig Ltd owned by the deceased’s father, said upon their arrival in Warri on November 26, 2021, Mr Oromoni called the family’s doctor, Aghogho Owhojede to come and attend to his son, and that he was treated for malaria for three days.

The witness added that a scan and an X-ray were conducted on him, based on the doctor’s instructions on November 29, which later revealed amongst other things that he had an enlarged liver.

According to Mr Odeworitse, the late Sylvester and his mother had gone to their Church for prayers on November the 29th, before the medical tests were carried out.

“They go to Church every Monday for prayers. I saw him in the car upon their return, still in pain, he wasn’t that fit to go to Church.”

The witness was also asked during further cross examination if he knew that the late pupil could have Been showing signs of hallucination or disorientation, which are reportedly among the symptoms of severe sepsis (a serious medical condition caused by the body’s response to an infection) found to have been one of the causes of his death, as stated in the result of the autopsy conducted on him in Lagos. He said he didn’t know about that.

Mr Odeworitse who said he was at the Oromonis’ Warri home where the deceased was carried into from Lagos , was asked by another counsel, Izuchukwu Ohajinwa, about the boy’s condition when he saw him. Hear him;

“He was screaming and shouting, he couldn’t walk and was complaining of pains in his waist and leg. There were blisters on his upper lip. His father told Tejire, the previous witness to take him upstairs .”

According to NAN (News Agency of Nigeria), Dr Aghogho Owhojede the Oromonis’ family doctor for 15 years, testified before the Ikeja Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.

The medical doctor was questioned by counsel to Dowen College, two accused students, the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

He recalled treating the teenager for acute malaria at the family home in Warri, Delta, from November 26 to 30, 2021.

Owhojede also told Akin George, Lagos State Government counsel, that he attended the same God’s Grace Ministry International Church with the family.

The doctor added that Oromoni was taken to church for prayers for an unspecified number of days by parents.

“What was your response to the treatment at a church as opposed to a proper medical facility?” George asked.

“I am aware that the church is not a treatment centre. I am not against prayer, I will prefer a combination of both prayer and medical treatment,” the doctor replied.

The doctor disclosed that on the day Oromoni died, he referred him to Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, for further treatment.

Owhojede said the boy could not be taken there because his condition deteriorated and he gave up the ghost.

The Coroner, Mikhail Kadiri, adjourned proceedings until February 7 for continuation of the hearing.

Before now, Counsel to the family, Taiwo Olawanle from the Law Firm of Falana & Falana, has asked for an indefinite adjournment on the grounds that other parties to the proceedings have not filed their witness depositions. Dismissing the application, the coroner, Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri held that the application is vexatious especially as the court has ruled on the matter and ordered all parties to file their witness deposition by Tuesday, February 1.

The most curious thing is, it was the family who requested for the Coroner’s inquest after they rejected the report of the Lagos state Police command and that of the state department of public prosecution. But it is still the family that is asking for indefinite adjournment and the father has refused to come testify at the inquest.

You picked up a child in such a condition, and you kept him Lagos for some days before bringing him to Warri in a far worse condition. The parents called the doctor who treated him for malaria. Within those times the mother was on live video asking the boy some unnecessary questions and forcing him to walk. Questions like ,how did they beat you, how many were they? What did they use? as if she was sure the boy would die so that she could use the extracted testimony for whatever reason.
You saw a boy writhing in pain and agony as we all saw on social media videos and what you are concerned about is extracting information from him? Then, the precious time you would have used to get him medical help, you were busy taking him to church. I’m not against church but a sick person needs the hospital, not the church. Everything is not spiritual problem. And a medical doctor started treating malaria after seeing the child in such a terrible state that requires diagnosis? Even if someone was caught on video shooting your child, would your first priority not be try to save the child first???

Nonsense!

 

Charles Ogbu