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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Five students and five staff of Dowen College that were linked to the death of a 12-year-old student of the college, Sylvester Oromoni, have been cleared by the Lagos State Government.
The students cleared by the state government are 16-year-old Favour Benjamin; Edward Begue (16); Ansel Temile (14); Kenneth Inyang (15) and Micheal Kashamu (15) the son of late Senator Buruji Kashamu.
Officials cleared by the government are Celina Uduak; Valentine Igboekweze; Hammed Ayomo Bariyu; Adesanya Olusesan Olusegun and one Adeyemi.
The clearance was contained in a legal advice by the Director of Public Prosecution(DPP) in Lagos State, Ms. Adetutu Oshinusi.
In the legal advice addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), and the trial magistrate, Magistrate Olatunbosun Adeola, the state also directed that all the suspects should be released if they are still in custody.
The advice stated that the interim and final autopsy reports issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and toxicology report of post mortem samples and that of the Central Hospital, Warri, were in agreement as to the cause of death, namely- Septicaemia, Lobar Pneumonia with Acute Pyelonephritis, Pyomyositis of the right ankle and Acute Bacteria Pneumonia due to severe Sepsis.
“The result of the toxicology is also not indicative of any toxic or poisonous substance in the body of the deceased.
“From available facts in the duplicate case file, the investigation carried out by the Police did not reveal that any secret society name, tattoo or insignia of any unlawful society was found in the possession of any of the suspects during the investigation carried out by the Police.
“To hold otherwise would amount to sniffing for an offence and a speculative act which is not permitted in law. It is trite in law that suspicion no matter how grave cannot be a ground for conviction,” it added.
The DPP’s legal advice concluded that based on the findings, there is “no prima facie case of murder, involuntary manslaughter and or malicious administering of poison with intent to harm against the five students.”
Oromoni reportedly died from injuries sustained during an attack by five senior students of the school for allegedly refusing to join their cult.
The 12-year-old boy died on November 30, 2021, after efforts to save his life proved abortive.
His father had claimed that his child was beaten and fed a liquid chemical but Dowen College dismissed the claim.
The school claimed the boy sustained injuries while playing football with his colleagues.