The management of Dowen College, Lagos, has warned Nigerians to desist from spreading false information about the death of a 12-year-old student, Sylvester Oromoni, saying, “our truth has won.”

This is contained in a statement by the school on Friday, days after the Lagos State government exonerated its students and staff from culpability in the death of their former student.

Dowen College said it was time Nigerians allowed the soul of the 12-year-old Sylvester rest peacefully. 

“We respectfully request that all those who have consistently, misguidedly, and maliciously pushed false information should cease and desist immediately and allow our dear Sylvester’s soul rest peacefully in our Lord’s arms,” Dowen College said.

There have been controversies surrounding the death of the late student who alleged that he was tortured by other students who had forced him to join a secret cult group within the school premises.

On Wednesday, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice asserted that there was no sufficient evidence to establish that the arrested students were members of unlawful society. 

But Dowen College said that “we do not know under what circumstances the accused names were mentioned,” adding that it had “no response” to that.

It insisted that the school was only aware that young Oromoni sustained injuries while playing football, claiming “two of the boys mentioned are day students with no connections to the hostel; a third boy mentioned was a regular weekly boarder who went home each weekend for home tutoring. He was not in the hostel over the weekend.

“Sylvester did not leave with any visible body injuries from the school contrary to what was showcased on social media,” it said, insisting that no issue was raised about his health until seven days after he was collected from school; a follow-up call to the family, while he was at home, revealed his leg was being massaged, nothing else.”

Stating that Dowen College had been dragged through the mud, the management said “today the truth wins, our faith wins and our integrity wins.”

The management stressed that “the autopsy report which is the product of the work of seven of the leading Pathologists in Nigeria, including one representing the Oromoni family from Delta State has shown that Sylvester had several chronic pre-existing health conditions. These health conditions cannot be fabricated or doctored. If there were contributory injuries from any bodily harm they would have been presented and stated.”

Meanwhile, persons believed to be members of the Ijaw Youth Council on Thursday stormed the premises of Dowen College to protest the recent release of suspects detained over the death of young Oromoni.

Earlier, a video of final moments of late Oromoni also obtained by Peoples Gazette indicated that he died of no natural causes, as it indicated that he was badly beaten to which the doctor attested to internal injuries.