A detective of the Nigeria Police Force, Chief Superintendent of Police Bamidele Olusegun has told a Coroner magistrate presided over Mikhail Kadiri that staff of Dowen College were indicted in the first legal advice issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The Police witness confirmed before the Corona the existence of interim legal advice dated 30th December 2021 which recommended that the staff members and indicted pupils should be prosecuted for alleged negligence.
CSP Olusegun, who was serving in the Homicide Section of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti in 2021, made this disclosure while being cross-examined by Mr Femi Falana (SAN) in the ongoing inquest into the controversial death of 12-year-old pupil of the Dowen College, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr.
The witness also told Corona that he received another legal advice dated 4th January. He said: “We sent one dated 23rd December, this was the last report we sent.
Falana further showed the witness the interim report dated 30th December 2021 and while reading the last paragraph, the witness said: “There are sufficient facts to establish this offence against Mrs Celina Uduak, Valentine Igboekweze, Hammed Ayomo Bariyu, Adesanya Olusegun and Mr Adeyemi and Dowen College.
The witness further affirmed that he conducted a thorough investigation on the matter. He said he was aware that the police protested that they were not allowed to conclude an investigation on the matter.
When the witness was shown a protest letter written to the Chief Judge of Lagos State by the Police, on the development of the investigation, the witness identified the letter.
A portion of the letter that was read by the witness in the court stated that: “It came as a rude shock that the investigation was not allowed to be carried out”
He also said the suspects were not brought back to the station for the conclusion of the investigation.
Olusegun also said: “ During the investigation, one of the suspects informed me that the deceased was bullied. Another one also told me that he was taken to the third floor to be tortured.”
When asked if any witness told him that the deceased was injured on the 14th of November, he said he can’t recollect.
The witness also affirmed that the deceased sister told him that he was also bullied sometimes in October and that the boy who allegedly bullied him was not punished for the act.
“She also confirmed to me that they bullied her brother because they wanted him to describe her private parts. I didn’t know the deceased was taken to the sickbay in October when he was bullied.
He also confirmed that a female parent of the school also reported a case of bullying against her son by some pupils at Maroko Police Station.
He however said he could only speak to Benjamin Favour because the school was under lock during his investigation.
Echoing his involvement in the investigation, the police witness also said: “On 3rd of December, a petition forwarded to my office was assigned to me and the school was already closed down then. On 6th December, we were at Maroko Police Station, where we met the Principal and the suspect. We took them down to Panti and obtained statements from the accused and the other management staff.
“We proceeded to a Yaba Magistrate’s court to get a remand order and the House Masters was detained with us while the children were remanded at Oregun Correctional Home. The deceased father’s statement was taken on the 9th of December while the Lagos State Attorney-General and the Lagos State Commissioner for Education were put on the phone during the interview with the parties.
“I recollect that I went to Warri to bring the corpse to Lagos and I had an interaction with the doctor, the consultant pathologists.
“We arrived in Lagos on 13th January with the corpse of the deceased while the autopsy was performed the next day. Before then, letters were dispatched to the parties asking them to be in attendance or send representatives during the autopsy.
“I later proceeded to Abuja to speak with one of the witnesses. I also recall that we visited the school for fact-findings and it was opened to us. I remember that the doctor at the school hospital, Dr Moji confirmed that she attended to the deceased between 21st and 22nd December
“ She confirmed to me that she asked the nurse to massage the deceased legs and that paracetamol was also administered on him.”
When asked if the school has CCTV cameras, he said: “ Absolutely No”, there were no CCTV cameras in the school.
The DPP, Mr Babajide Martins, counsel representing Lagos and Mr Anthony Kpokpo, representative of Dowen School however informed the court that the said legal advice sought to be tendered by the witness and which Mr Falana has cross-examined him on has not been front-loaded to them.
Kpokpo said: “It has become the practice of the deceased family to present documents that have not been front-loaded. We will not be able to continue with the cross-examination as a result of the surprises being pulled on us. This is regrettable,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Babajide Martins led CSP Bamidele Olusegun in examination-in-chief.
The corona thereafter was adjourned to 22 February 2022.
