No less than 100,000 persons have signed two petitions on the Change.org platform, demanding the immediate prosecution of all those responsible for the gruesome death of 12-year-old Sylvester Oromoni, who was a boarding student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos.
The Lagos State Government, on Friday, ordered the indefinite closure of the school, pending the outcome of an investigation into the death of Sylvester.
Also, the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu, at the weekend, ordered the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, to take over the investigation of the case immediately.
The first petition, by a family member of the deceased, Timi Oromoni, titled: ‘Justice For Sylvester Oromoni Jnr’, has attracted over 65,000 signatures as of 1 pm on Sunday.
It partly read:
On Tuesday 30/11/2021, we lost our brother, 12 years old Sylvester Oromoni Jnr. He was taken from us in the most gruesome of manner beaten by five senior boys in his hostel in Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos state. The students are from influential families and the school is trying to bury the case.
Sign and help us find justice for Sylvester Oromoni Jnr. It’s our fight he could be your son, your brother, your cousin. #justiceforsylvester
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Also, the second petition started by The Irede Foundation, with the title: ‘We Want Justice For Sylvester’, has attracted over 50,000 signatures.
The petition reads in part:
We need the police to act immediately and investigate the circumstances and events that led to his death. We’re asking the Lagos Commissioner for Education, Folashade Adefisayo and officials of the Lagos State Universal Education Board, and the Federal Ministry of Education to probe allegations of bullying and negligence.
We’re asking for a thorough and transparent investigation and prosecution of those found to be culpable in this tragic incident.
Justice must be served and seen to be served for 12-year-old Sylvester and his family.
On her part, President of Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, urged the Police to ensure there are no cover-ups in the investigation into the death of the student.
Okei-Odumakin, in a statement titled: ‘Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, on our conscience’, said:
There are so many questions to ask but the question of justice supersedes them all. #Justice for Sylvester Oromoni, Jnr.
We have once again sent a very dangerous signal to the world. The last time, it was a misplaced school that went up in gas flames.
Now, it is the murder of a 12-year old, so easily. What would the law enforcement/judicial process do for closure?
Are we going to get the names of the secondary school cultists? Probably, the children of eminent people, who are by now running helter-skelter to fiddle with the process to cover up the deeds of their children.
How do we redefine the school environment such that this crime does not define the school?
We are so sad and we condole with the family of the Sylvester.
We insist that the police, the state government and the judicial system must all live up and not present the usual disappointment.
