By Linus Akomolafe
Twelve-year-old Sylvester Oromoni Junior, a student of Dowen College, who was admitted in an hospital on Friday following an alleged attack from a cult group has been confirmed dead.
The deceased was said to have been assaulted by some cult members who he identified before his death as students of the college located in Lekki, Lagos for refusing to join the fraternity.
Announcing his demise, a relative to the deceased, Perrison Oromoni, took to the micro blogging site, twitter on Wednesday, revealing that the 12-year-old passed away on Tuesday after series of tests and X-rays indicated that he sustained internal injuries from severe beating.
Dowen College who reached out to the family has said his injuries were sustained while he was playing football.
Speaking further on the issue, Perrison said: “We’re from Delta State, but he goes to Dowen College in Lekki. They called my uncle that his son was injured when he was playing football. Reaching the hospital, it was confirmed that he was being bullied and beaten up, causing internal damages.”
“After tests and X-rays, it was confirmed he was beaten up badly. He died yesterday (Tuesday) morning, and his entire body was swollen,”
He added that “before passing, he said they had been pressuring him to join a cult group. He was admitted on Friday. He said they were going to kill him if he talked.”
In a screenshot shared on the blogging site, he said, late Sylvester mentioned a few names of the students who pressured him to join their cult group before he died.
In his words: “anybody that can kill me should kill me now, my brother won’t die for nothing, Anslem Temile, Michael Kashamu and Benjamin Favour and Dowen college, just know he called your names before he died.”
According to a media report, a representative of Dowen College, Ayomide Falona, has said investigations have begun into the matter while refuting the claims of assault.
When contacted the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Adekunle Ajisebutu he said, he has not been briefed and that he would find out and get back to us on the issue.
Condemning the act, Nigerians on twitter have called on security agencies to look into the situation while urging parents to monitor their wards who are boarders.
A twitter user @Shelleofficial who did his National Youth Service at the school said parents whose children attend the college contribute largely to children’s waywardness as many refused to allow their children to be corrected by teachers. “May God rest his soul. I served in Dowen College and the problem mostly is parents don’t want their children scolded by a teacher, teachers don’t want to lose jobs, schools don’t want to lose money! Business for school, jobs for teachers and spoiled brat for parents!”
“This day there is no difference between a Christian boarding school and a normal school. The atrocities that happen are the same. The country is hard and most women now work, that’s why people choose boarding for their kids. But is it the way to go? Things are happening faa,” @purity_gifts.
This is coming ten months after a mother of 11, Deborah Okezie, posted a video on Facebook where she said, some senior students in Deeper Life High School, Uyo, habitually inserted fingers and toes in her son’s anus and her son was frequently starved and beaten up by the senior students.
The victim looked terrified in the video adding that they said if he complained he would be a dead man.
Investigation is still on and there has been no report on the case in court.
