Sylvester Oromoni Snr., father of the late student of Dowen College in Lekki area of Lagos, Sylvester, on Tuesday accused the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State government of a massive cover-up on events leading to his son’s death.
He made the allegation during a cross-examination by counsel to Lagos State government, Mr. Akin George, at the state’s Coroner Court in Ikeja.
He questioned the rationale behind the release of five senior students of Dowen College who allegedly bullied his son to death.
The students were released on the advice of the state’s Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) 14 days into the 21-day remand order given by the Yaba Magistrates’ Court.
The Oromonis claimed in November last year that their 12-year-old son died after he was bullied by some students of Dowen College for refusing to join a cult group in school.
The police and the state government later conducted an autopsy on the deceased and discovered that the cause of his death was natural.
Oromomi Snr. said: “There is a massive cover-up and it is clearly here (in the police report).
”A Magistrates’ Court in Yaba requested 21 days and after the 14 days, the boys were granted bail when the police were not done with their investigations.
When I saw the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (Hakeem Odumosu) and told him about it, he told me that, that was not true that they were not done with their investigations.
“He even said that on the day it was said that they had released those boys, the courts were not sitting.
”I then called the Deputy Commissioner of Police, he told me the same thing and told me to give him some time.
“After about two to four minutes, he called me back and he confirmed it, that they were given 21 days for their investigations and the boys had just spent 14 days in detention.
“They (police) said they were going to write a protest letter. They were already interrogating two of the students and revelations were coming out so they were taken by surprise.
“The same Commissioner of Police, after some days now publicly declared that at the instance of Mr. Governor, the Attorney-General and the DPP said there was nothing wrong with the boys, therefore, they have released them.
“At what point did they complete their investigation, give all the case files to the DPP to go through and the DPP to come up with their report?
“This is why I am saying there is a very massive conspiracy going on.”
