Rosemary Oromoni, the mother of Sylvester Oromoni, the 12-year-old Dowen College student who tragically died in 2021 following alleged bullying, has passed away.
She succumbed to complications related to intermittent high blood pressure, according to a source close to the family.
Rosemary died in late November, seven months after a Lagos coroner’s court dismissed the family’s case in April 2024.
Her health had reportedly worsened due to the emotional strain of the prolonged legal battle and the court’s final decision.
Sylvester Oromoni died on November 30, 2021, at Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos.
His family had alleged that five of his schoolmates—Favour Benjamin, Michael Kashamu, Edward Begue, Ansel Temile, and Kenneth Inyang—had physically assaulted him and poisoned him with a toxic substance.
The school, however, denied the accusations, stating that the boy’s injuries were the result of a football accident.
The initial autopsy reported “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication,” but this was later disputed due to procedural issues.
A second autopsy, conducted by the Lagos Directorate of Public Prosecutions, concluded that Oromoni died of natural causes.
In April 2024, the case was closed, with the coroner ruling that Oromoni’s death was caused by sepsis, a result of an infected ankle injury.
Judge Mikhail Kadiri attributed the tragedy to “parental and medical negligence,” clearing Dowen College and the accused students of any wrongdoing.
The five students were released from juvenile detention in 2022 after being cleared of all charges.
Despite the legal closure, the Oromoni family continued to hold onto their belief that key evidence was ignored during the investigation.
The family even kept Sylvester’s body in a morgue until January 27, 2024, when they buried him as a protest against the findings of the case.
