Lagos Shuts Down Dowen College As Probe Begins

Lagos Shuts Down Dowen College As Probe Begins

The Lagos State Government has sealed off Dowen College in the Lekki area of the state over the horrendous death of 12-year-old Sylvester Oromoni.

It was gathered that the school was sealed off on Sunday by officials of the state government.

Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotosho, confirmed the development.

It was earlier reported that the father of the deceased boarding student alleged that the Junior Secondary School 2 pupil died from the injuries he sustained during an assault by colleagues who wanted to initiate him into cultism but the school claimed he died after sustaining an injury during a football match.

The father of the deceased student, Sylvester Oromoni Snr, had fingered five boys whom he said were allegedly involved in the bullying of his son.

The father had also said the teachers, security men, and other officials of the school must explain the death of his son, whose 12th birthday was December 4 (Saturday).

With the national outrage the case has attracted since Oromoni’s death on November 30, 2021, federal and state governments have taken a number of actions.

The Lagos State Government on Friday ordered the indefinite closure of the school, pending the outcome of an investigation into the death of Sylvester.

The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu, on Saturday, also ordered the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, to take over investigation of the case immediately.

Sylvester’s death is one of the heartbreaking deaths resulting from bullying and molestations in boarding secondary schools of late.

Karen-Happuch Akpagher of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja, had died of sexual molestation in June 2021 while Don Davies of Deeper Life High School, Uyo, had also narrowly escaped death in December 2020, when his mother raised the alarm of alleged sodomy of her emaciated son.