All persons responsible for the torture and eventual death of Dowen College student Sylvester Oromoni Junior must be investigated and brought to justice, the Delta State government has demanded.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa insisted that “the matter must be investigated, perpetrators apprehended, punished, and made an example of, to serve as a very strong deterrence against future occurrences” in a statement on Saturday.

The governor described the circumstances surrounding the death of the 12-year-old Oromoni as unfortunate, citing the controversies surrounding the death of the student who was allegedly tortured by other students over his refusal to join a cult group.

Mr Okowa noted that he had been on phone with the boy’s father, Sylvester Oromoni, a Delta State indigene, and said he agreed with the decision of the Lagos State Government to shut down the school for proper investigation.

“During the call, I expressed my agreement with the decision of the Lagos State government to launch an investigation into the death of Sylvester, a native of Warri South LGA in Delta State,” he said.

“As a government that places priority on the lives of our citizens within and outside the state, we are determined to pursue this case to the end,” the governor vowed.

Mr Okowa further commiserated with the Oromoni’s family.

Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had ordered the indefinite closure of the school on Friday following the controversies surrounding the death of Oromoni Junior. This was to enable proper investigations to be carried out.

Although the school management claimed that the student died as a result of injuries sustained while he played football, videos of his last moments showed the 12-year-old with bloodied, swollen mouth and writhing in excruciating pains, indicative of injuries that is unlikely to be sustained during an ordinary school playtime.