By Yetunde Ayobami

The family of the late 12-year old student of Dowen College Lekki, Lagos, Sylvester Omoroni, who died last Tuesday, has demanded a Coroner’s inquest into their son’s death.

The family through a letter sent by their counsel, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN)  to the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Justice Mojisola Dada requested that an inquest be conducted.

Sylvester was said to have died as a result of bullying and torture by some students who wanted him to join their cult.

Falana,  in the letter dated December 6, said he has been briefed by Sylvester’s family that the circumstances leading to the death of the boy, demand that  an inquest be conducted.

The letter, signed by Taiwo Olawanle, a lawyer in Falana’s law firm stated: “We are a firm of legal practitioners committed to the defence of human rights, rule of law and public accountability in Nigeria.

“We have been briefed by the family of the late Sylvester Oromoni, a student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, who died from injuries he allegedly sustained from the beating by his colleagues that wanted him to join their secret cult group.

“Given the needless death of Sylvester Oromoni, we are compelled to request you to use your good offices to cause a coroner’s inquest to be conducted into the cause of death of this young and promising boy and make appropriate recommendations pursuant to Section 15 of the Lagos State Coroner’s Law 2007, which provides that an inquest shall hold whenever a coroner is informed that the death of a deceased person within his Coroner District is as a result of a death in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation.

“We hereby request Your Lordship to conduct an inquest into the circumstances surrounding this tragic death at Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos State and we are confident that Your Lordship will accede to our request with utmost urgency.”