By Gabriel Dike
The Lagos State Ministry of Education, Alausa, has invited the management of Dowen College, Lekki, and parents of late Sylvester Oromoni Junior, who was allegedly beaten to death by five suspected cult students.
Daily Sun gathered that the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefiayo, has waded into the controversy surrounding the death of the 12-year-old student of Dowen College.
Recalled that the cousin of the late student, Perrison Oromoni, had via his Twitter handle alleged that Sylvester was battered by five students of the college because he refused to join their cult group.
But the Principal of the college, Mrs. Adebisi Layiwola, in statement debunked the allegation and insisted Sylvester fell while playing football, treated by the college resident nurse and released to his guardian for further treatment.
Ahead of the meeting at the ministry which was at the instance of the education commissioner, Daily Sun learnt that the police may take over the case to determine the level of involvement of the five students and possible cover up by the management.
A senior official at the ministry told our Correspondent that the commissioner was worried about the death of the student and the argument surrounding the circumstances leading to his death.
“The honourable commissioner for education have invited both parties to a meeting at the ministry. She wants to find out the true position of things. The death of the student is an unfortunate incident, the senior official stated.
In related development, the Lagos State Government on Friday send its condolences to the parents of 12-year-old Sylvester Oromoni Junior, late student of Dowen College.
A statement by the Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Ganiu Lawal said the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, observed that the incident is shocking and the state is indeed sad about the great loss.
He said a delegation comprising top level management of relevant ministries, departments and agencies and the police, has visited the school on a fact- finding mission.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that Sylvester Oromoni Junior was indeed enrolled as a student of Dowen College in its boarding facility and had been treated by the school’s medical personnel before the school requested that the parents take him away for further care.”
The state government is in touch with the parents in this difficult time. We reassure the family of the late Sylvester Oromoni Junior and Lagosians at large that efforts are being made to unravel the circumstances leading to his demise, even as we reiterate the Government’s commitment to Child Protection.
Our Correspondent further gathered that some family members of the death student are demanding for autopsy to be carried which will determine the cause of death.
A new video circulating online may have punctured the position of the college management that Sylvester fell down while playing football.
In the new video, Sylvester can be seen in sever pain with swollen month and bruises in some part of his body.
A relative of Sylvester could be heard in the video cursing those responsible for his condition and the college management for trying to cover up the incident.