Rosemary Oromoni, the mother of Sylvester Oromoni, a Dowen College student whose tragic death in 2021 sparked widespread outrage, has passed away.
A family source confirmed to TheCable that Rosemary died in late November after struggling with intermittent blood pressure issues. Her passing comes over seven months after a Lagos coroner’s court dismissed the family’s case in April 2024.
Sylvester, aged 12, died on November 30, 2021, while attending Dowen College in Lagos. His parents accused five male schoolmates of bullying, assaulting him, and forcing him to ingest a toxic substance. However, the school denied these allegations, attributing his injuries to a football-related incident.
An initial autopsy cited “acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication,” but this was discredited due to procedural errors. A second autopsy conducted by the Lagos Directorate of Public Prosecutions concluded that Sylvester died “naturally.” In April 2024, the coroner ruled that his death was caused by sepsis from an ankle injury and attributed it to “parental and medical negligence.” Dowen College and the accused boys were cleared of wrongdoing.
The five students accused — Favour Benjamin, Michael Kashamu, Edward Begue, Ansel Temile, and Kenneth Inyang — were exonerated and released from a juvenile home in 2022.
In protest of the legal findings, the Oromoni family kept Sylvester’s body in a morgue until his burial on January 27, 2024. Throughout the trial, the family argued that vital evidence supporting their claims was ignored.
Rosemary’s health reportedly worsened due to the emotional strain of the prolonged legal battle and the court’s dismissal of the case.
