Official Autopsy Report of Sylvester Oromoni Reveals Death By Acute Lung Injury and Chemical Intoxication, Suspects Freed on Bail.

On December 1st, 2021, news of the death of twelve-year-old Sylvester Oromoni took the internet by storm. The deceased was suspected by his friend’s family to have died from bullying by some of his colleagues at Dowen College, Lagos. 

Despite, the school’s attempt to cover up the incident claiming that Sylvester had received his injuries during a routine football match in school, an autopsy report conducted by one Dr Clement Vhriterhire, a pathologist in Central Hospital, Warri reveals that the deceased died from “Acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication in a background of blunt force trauma.”

Before his passing, Sylvester had mentioned five students that had inflicted injuries on him while in school. This, combined with other investigations carried out by the Lagos State Police Force, led to the temporary arrest of the five students and their housemaster. However, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Hakeem Odumumosu refused to disclose the identities of the detained suspects while confirming their arrest on the 7th of December, 2021.

After a series of tests, which included an autopsy of the deceased, the Lagos State division of the Nigerian Police Force, released all the detainees, claiming that none of the results linked them to the cause of death. This of course did not sit well with the Oromoni’s as they insisted that the system was not performing its duties in fairness. According to sources, the police had already released the detainees on bail before the results of the investigation had been finalized.

On Wednesday, 5th of January, 2022, the Director of Public Prosecution for the Lagos State Government, Ms Adetutu Oshinusi, cleared all the suspects, including Dowen College, of any connection to the death of the deceased, thereby bringing the Sylvester Onoromoni case to a close. 

Sylvester’s family and the general public have refused to accept the Lagos State Government’s ruling and the #justiceforsylvester is still trending on various social media platforms to solicit for the reopening of the case because the autopsy revealed too many signs of bullying.

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According to the autopsy report, it was discovered that Sylvester had a “scalded upper lip” which was a result of the forceful ingestion of toxic chemicals. The chemicals were harsh enough to burn his lips. It’s no wonder his lung suffered damage along the line. The autopsy also revealed acute gastric erosion. 

Acute gastric erosion refers to a recent injury in the stomach lining, which causes it to erode and lead to an internal injury. Sylvester had been forced to drink a toxic chemical that not only burnt his lip but the inner lining of his stomach. All these could not have occurred during a friendly match on a football pitch.

The same autopsy report also revealed cerebral oedema, bruised flanks and acute lung injury. Cerebral oedema is caused by brain inflammation and it can lead to unconsciousness or death in worst-case scenarios. Meanwhile, it can occur when a person consumes toxic chemicals. 

The flanks refer to the region between the ribs and hips on a person’s back. For that area to be bruised, he must have received injury on his back, possibly from being kicked severally. 

All of these combine to create an image of a twelve-year-old boy lying on the floor, getting kicked on his back, while being forced to drink a toxic chemical. 

Evidence points to the fact that it was not a friendly football match, but aggravated bullying that led to his murder. The general public will continue to stand for #justiceforsylvester.