By Ngozi Njoku
The doctor, who delivered Master Sylvester Oromoni of Dowen College, Lagos, at birth, has testified that the student did not have any underlying illness.
The doctor, Henry Aghogho, said on Monday that Oromoni was born on Dec. 4, 2009, without any underlying medical condition.
Aghogho testified at an Ikeja coroner’s inquest into the death of Oromoni, aged 12, on Nov. 30, 2021.
He was being cross-examined by counsel to Dowen College, Mr Anthony Kpokpo.
Before the cross-examination, counsel to the Oromoni Family, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), raised an objection as to why the witness should be cross-examined, while he was disallowed from cross-examining two witnesses who testified earlier.
The Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, ruled that it was stated that the business of the day would entail tendering medical records of the deceased, explaining medical terms therein and cross-examinating the doctor.
The doctor, also the physician of the Oromoni Family, however, told the court that sometime in 2018, the deceased had enteritis and was treated with antibiotics.
According to him, the infection was caused by unclean food and water.
NAN reports that after the cross-examination, the coroner asked all the counsel in the case whether they had other witnesses but they all answered in the negative.
The coroner consequently adjourned the inquest until April 1 for a visit to Dowen College, Lagos.
NAN reports that it was alleged by the Oromoni family that the student died from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for refusing to join a cult.
It was also alleged that he was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.
Advice by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions released on Jan. 4, 2022, however, stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.
(NAN)
