Two years after the commencement of a coroner inquest into the death of a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki, Sylvester Junior Oromoni, the coroner magistrate has attributed his death to his parents and doctor’s negligence.

Magistrate Mikhail Kadri sitting in Ogba, while delivering judgment on his report on the inquest, yesterday, said that Oromoni died as a result of failed treatment for his enlarged liver.

Initially, Oromoni, whose death on November 30, 2021, was attributed to bullying and an alleged poisonous substance he was forced to drink in the school, was said to have also mentioned that he was beaten up by five senior students of the college before he died.

But on January 5, 2022, the Lagos State Government exonerated the five students and five employees of the college, who were accused of the death of Sylvester Oromoni.

The magistrate said: “Based on the foregoing, it is clear that the deceased health deteriorated in the doctors care.

The doctor did not take proper care of the deceased, as he completely abandoned him for a period of more than 32 hours.

“The deceased’s death was an avoidable one but for the negligence of the parents and the doctor, they did not take him to the hospital until the day he died. The deceased went through an avoidable and excruciating pain and made to suffer needlessly.

The magistrate, who broke down in tears several times while reading his findings and even rose at a point to comport himself, said the case was touching but needed objectivity.

He exonerated the school of negligence and the five senior students accused of bullying the deceased and administering a poisonous substance on him.

He said: “The alleged suspects played no part in Sylvester’s death, but were victims of their past misdeeds. They were falsely accused and no member of staff of Dowen College played any role in the death. The school has improved on their facilities since the incident. The claim of chemical intoxication was never proven, and the faces of those allegedly bullying the deceased weren’t seen. The alleged confession of Sylvester was denied by several witnesses. Even if he was beaten, it didn’t lead to his death.”

The coroner, therefore, recommended that parents should not take their children’s health with levity, as well as better synergy between police and medical team in such matters.

He also called for proper psychological evaluation for the five students suspected to have bullied the deceased.