Mr Sylvester Oromoni Snr. yesterday told a Lagos Coroner Court sitting in Ikeja that there was a massive coverup in the death of his son, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, a student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos.
Oromoni Snr. made this allegation under cross-examination by a Director in the Ministry of Justice, Mr Akin George.
George had asked him to clarify coverup allegation.
The witness responded that the police had told him that the investigation had not been concluded before the suspected five students were released.
In his explanation before the Coroner Magistrate Mikhail Kadri, the witness said, “It is clearly stated in the police report that a Magistrates’ Court in Yaba requested for 21 days and after 14 days, the boys were granted bail when the police were not done with their investigations.
“When I saw the Commissioner of Police (Hakeem Odumosu), he told me that that they were not done with their investigation. On that day, when they said they had released those boys, the courts were not sitting.
“I then called the Deputy Commissioner of Police, who told me the same thing, telling me to give him some time to look into the matter.
“After about two to four minutes he called me back and confirmed that they were given 21 days for their investigations and the boys had just spent 14 days in detention.
“They (police) said they were going to write a protest letter. They were already interrogating two of the students, so they were taken by surprise.
“The same Commissioner of Police, after some days now publicly said that at the instance of Mr Governor, the Attorney-General and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, there was nothing wrong with the boys, therefore, they’ve released them.”
Earlier during the proceedings, Oromoni snr told the court that he did not call anybody to massage the deceased leg but to examine the leg.
Coroner Magistrate Kadri listed witnesses to be summoned, including the roommate of the deceased; Prof. John Obafunwa, Dr. Amos Fabanwo, the school nurse, the students who the deceased allegedly played football with, Investigation Police Officer (Warri) and Dr. Clement Vhriterhire, the pathologist in Warri, among others.