On Tuesday, a toxicologist, Benedict Agbo, told a coroner in Ikeja he did not get any request to test the blackish substance found in the intestine of late Sylvester Oromoni.

The blackish substance was found in the second autopsy conducted by a pathologist, Sunday Soyemi, with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

It is believed to have contained the chemical intoxication allegedly forced down the throat of the deceased by some senior pupils at Dowen College that led to his death.

During the coroner’s inquest, set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the 12-year-old, the lawyer representing the deceased family, Femi Falana, asked the witness “was any blackish substance sent to you for any examination from LASUTH?”

The forensic toxicologist responded “no, nobody. I didn’t get any request.”

Mr Agbo who has worked as a toxicologist in the police department for 25 years, said he was contacted by the police Area Commander in Warri, Delta State, that an autopsy was going to be done on the deceased.

He said after the autopsy was carried out, he discussed it with the pathologist in the state, Clement Vhriterhire, and received some samples for chemical analysis.

Mr Agbor noted that he did physical examination, and also did it at the microscopic level.

Mr Falana asked, “You were the one that suggested to the pathologist in Warri what to send to you?” The toxicologist responded in the affirmative.

“Is it normal to use clotted blood for toxicology?” The lawyer asked, to which the toxicologist responded saying, “Yes, if that is what is found.”

Mr Agbor said that the police laboratory in Alagbon is a “functional laboratory for toxicology,” adding that it was commissioned in 1997.

“In other words, yours is the only functional toxicology in Nigeria?” the lawyer asked.

“I won’t say that. I’m not aware,” adding that the equipment sometimes breaks down and some people are called to fix it.

When he was asked about the condition of the equipment between November and now, he said, “I will have to go back and take stock.”

When the lawyer insisted, he mentioned that “for our DNA, the…gas chromatography,” was faulty.

However, the witness stressed that the functionality of a toxicology laboratory does not depend on the equipment, “it depends on the expertise.”

Do you have equipment for testing poisons? The lawyer asked. The witness replied in the affirmative. He said in testing the samples, he used solvent and solid extraction procedures.

“You will agree with me therefore that if the biochemical assay has not been carried out, you cannot conclusively say that your report is final? The lawyer asked.

“No, I can’t say that,” he said. According to the witness, a biochemical assay “is to know if the liver, heart and other vital organs were functioning very well before the cessation of life.”

The coroner adjourned the hearing to April 11 and 12.