The Principal of Dowen College, Mrs. Adebisi Layiwola was overwhelmed with emotions as she wept during the ongoing inquest held in Lagos on Tuesday, seeking to unravel the circumstances leading to the death of late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr.
The educationist wept for about 10 minutes while being led in evidence by Mr. Femi Falana, SAN.
However, the principal told the Coroner, Mikhail Kadiri that she never asked the students if they were aware of cultism in the school.
She also said that she did not inquire from them if alleged concoction was forcibly given to the deceased to drink but that she only inquired from the students about the alleged bully incident.
Mrs. Layiwola said she never denied the existence of bully in the school said what she said in her statement at the Maroko Police Station was that Dowen College has zero tolerance for bullying and that several students have been suspended and even expelled for bullying.
Asking the principal if she was aware, the school doctor, Dr. Mojisola Bisiriyu also works at American Hospital in Lekki on Saturday and Sunday, she replied Mr. Falana in the negative.
Probing her further if she will be surprised to learn that the board of Dowen College has been dissolved after the Sylvester Oromoni incident, she answered that she will not be surprised.
At this point, Mr. Falana, tendered two documents.
According to the senior lawyer, one of the document was printed from the website of the American Hospitals indicating that Dr. Bisiriyu works with them and a newspaper print-out indicating that the board of school’s board has been dissolved.
Counsel to the defendants did not object to the newspaper print-out, reporting dissolution of the board, they however objected to the print-out from the website of American Hospitals, stressing that the print-out does not in anyway confirm her status of employment.
Quoting relevant cases, Mr. Falana argued that the weight of the documents even if it is stolen determines admissibility.
Ruling on the matter, Coroner, Magistrate Kadiri admitted the two documents based on their weight and relevance to the inquest.
The Principal also said the school sent condolence messages to Oromoni’s parents via email and WhatsApp and even followed up with a call to the parents.
He adjourned further inquiry on the matter to Monday, March 7, 2022.
Earlier on Monday, Mr. Hammed Ayomo, who is the Houseparent at the school revealed that no sanction was meted to the students who were alledged of bullying and forcing the late Sylvester to join a cult in the school.
“I was not aware of beating him to join cult.
”I was not aware that he was being beaten or forced to join a cult.”
Mr. Falana while leading the witness who teaches Islamic studies in the school, said, “The first time I heard a complain was from Mr. Oromoni that the deceased wanted to be keeping his provisions with me.
“I started keeping it for him.”
“Did you ever report this issue to biological parent about issue of his provisions?
“No.”
With regard to the student, the prosecution asked, “Did he ever report that his school box was damaged?
“Yes.”
“What did you do about the complain about the damaged box?
“I asked him to bring it to my room.”
“A student under your care came to you and complained about the damaged box, did you report to the school?
“No” but he however explained the reason why no complaint was made to the school.
According to him, “Because it was not confirmed whether he was the one who opened the box or it was opened by another person.
He added that such could be the case when students can’t find keys to their boxes, they would damage it.
Was their any time he complained that some people asked him to fetch water?
He replied it was reported to Mr. Valentine, and he continued,”We both investigated the issue, the outcome was we recovered his socks from the laundry basket.”
“Can you tell the condition of the boy on November 23, 2021?
“He was not weak and not too bad, because he complained of thigh pain but he told me it was muscle pull.”
“He didn’t complain of leg injury but pain on right thigh.”
“The principal became aware of the deceased’s sickness on the Sunday 28th, 2021.”
“I collected exeat for the boy to exit the school, it was signed on April 2021.”
“Which of the parent signed?”
“None of the parent.”
“I was not aware if he was bullied on 28th October.”
The housemaster who also served as the late Oromoni guardian noted that he was shocked when he heard that some students wanted him to described the private part of his sister.
He claimed that, the deceased did not tell him if he was beaten for not telling them about his sister.
He mentioned three boys but only one asked that he should described about his sister for him.
“He said others were just there laughing to at him.”
Asked if he was surprised, Mr. Ayomo said, “The case was not new to me because it had been reported to school authourity.”
“I called Assistant Director of the school’s, Mr. Valentine.
“I called them and talked to them.
He stressed that he admonished them and that they should desist but that one of the students must be punished by Valentine.
He replied to one of the questions in relation to a kind of misbehaviour, “No sanction was meted to the students.”
As the prosecution continued probing about the school’s doctor, Mrs. Bisiriyu, he told the Coroner, “I don’t know whether the doctor reports for duty everyday because I don’t work under her.
“I don’t take sick student to the hospital, he noted.
“We report to nurse when students are ill, from there they take them to hospital.
“I am not aware the nurse treated him on the 22nd and 23 November 2021.
On the 21st, Sunday, I met the deceased, he was treated by the nurse.
“I was not on duty on Sunday.”
Speaking on a condition of a twisted tongue that was said to have been noticed on the boy around April 2021, he explained that, “Our former nurse diagnosed that he had a twisted tongue.”
“Where was the doctor on that day, she was not in school?
“He was not taken to the hospital?”
“That was the first time. He was unable to talk I saw it and it appeared peeling.”
“I saw him using his hand to scratch the tongue.”
“His parent was called by the nurse in April 2021.”
“I am not aware of who the nurse called but his brother Keyenes came to pick him up.”
“Only the register – movement book was signed but I have forgotten who signed it.”
“The parent don’t come like that they send the siblings.”
“I don’t know of any of the parent who come to pick their children at anytime.”
“I did not informed Dr. Bisiriyu that he has a twisted tongue, as I have said earlier it is the duty of the nurse to informs.”
“I didn’t inform, but Mr. Val was aware.”
“I informed the Admin Director of the hostel, I did not inform the principal.”
He also said that the deceased had a twisted tongue and taken home and brought back in April 2021, contradicting what the doctor and father had said in their testimonies.
He however said that,“The drug was handed over to Deborah Adeyinka, a Nurse in the school.
“Mr. A. A George from the Ministry of Justice referred to statements on 6th and 13th December made to the police but no objections were made by all counsel.
Speaking of interventions made, the guardian said, “The issue of some people begging for provisions happened when he was in JSS 1 in 2021 when he just came.
“Did he asked to change his room that he want to be with his colleageues?
“That was last term sometimes around October 2021.”
“The room was changed.”
He also explained that the deceased’s missing personal effect was searched for, we look for it, under the bed, everywhere.”
In the case of the deceased in looking for his item, Mr. Ayomo said, “we don’t employ special treatment.”
“He told me he played football.”
On the issue of privacy of his sister, “the actual date I don’t know.”
“From my conversation on phone with Sylvester’s mother, the mother said the healing hand of God was on him and I was happy. I also informed the principal that one of our boys is staying home for too long, I called and connected the principal and the mother.”
When the principal asked the parent on the phone why he was screaming, the mother said they were massaging the body and the principal prayed for him.
“I saw him last on Thursday when the father came to pick him from the sick bay.
“He was not screaming when he was taken away from school like he was on phone.”
The Coroner asked the witness the relationship with the deceased, he said, “I am the guardian, the houseparent and a teacher.
Probing him, Magistrate Kadiri asked if there was any standard practice as to disciplining students in the range of mild and serious misconduct, he replied in the affirmative.
The Coroner asked series of questions about the incidence in relation to the deceased’s sister,” Would you consider it a minor or major incidence.
He said, ”I would consider it as a major one.”
Are you surprised that the school did not take any measures to the persons that perpetrated the misconduct?
He responded, “The boy was punished.”
“Did the school punished the student?
“By The director.”
“Was the incident reported to the school authourity?”
“The father of the deceased reported to the school management?
“Who constitute the school management?
“They are three in number,” he responded.
“None of them took any decision as to the perpetrator of the act.
“I am surprise that no step was taken against the act, I am not aware.”
“As a father, how would you feel if no sanctions was meted out?
“As a father, I won’t be happy. as a parent, I have notified the school.”
“Would you still have confidence in the school?”
It depends, If I was the parent, I will still have confidence in the school management If no punishment was meted to the student.”
“Did the deceased always tell you things about him?”
“He told me that he sustained injury while playing football with his colleagues.”
“I confirmed with about five or six of his mates that he fell while playing football.”
The Nigeria Bar Association representative Mr. Oniga asked if the school has Guidelines and Procedure and whether it is a written document that is followed, he responded in the affirmative.
What is the Guidelines and procedure of the school in relation to the deceased sister?
“The protocol is to take the matter to the management, that is what I know about that.
What if you established ill, what does the school do, Oniga queried.
“It is punishment. it’s now left to the management to determine.
He also listed punishments for major misconduct of the school, namely, expulsion and suspension for beating bullying.
He noted that the school also has a disciplinary committee which the Admission Director, Mr. Adeyemi Jeremiah, is on the committee.
He also said effort are underway, as the school is putting CCTV camera everywhere, on the corridor, we are building room for house masters on each floor to make room for proper monitoring, he concluded.
