Something horrible happened to 12 year old Sylvester Oromoni at Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos.
And it was so bad it caused his untimely death late November of 2021 and some body or some people know who’s responsible but they are not talking.
Something equally horrifying happened to 14 year old Karen Happuch Akphager at Premier Academy, Lugbe Abuja that caused her painful and sudden death on the June 22, 2021 and like Sylvester’s mysterious and horrifying death, someone knows or some people know whodunnit and no one is saying anything!
Recall the the case of Don Davies Archibong, JSS1 student of the Deeper Life high school in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, who was earlier this year reported to have been sexually assualted and starved by some school officials and fellow students!
So does it now mean children we send to boarding houses can be sexually assaulted, just die brutal deaths and the schools will claim ignorance?
In Karen’s case, Premier Academy washed their hands off her death by claiming she died from complications arising from her diabetic condition. They deliberately omitted to say she was in the school when she was raped and sodomised and a condom left inside her. Autopsy reports said the condom caused sepsis which in turned worsened her diabetic condition and killed her!
In Sylvester’s case, Dowen College claimed the boy sustained injuries while playing football and that the school took care but had to call his mum for further medical aid.
Further medical aid by the family found the boy’s injuries weren’t consistent with injuries from a football game. Sylvester was later reported to have told his family that he was beaten by some “cult” boys and given a strange substance to drink! This perhaps accounted for his bloody mouth and burnt lips
What did the school do?
They issued a statement, denying complicity and finished off by saying their school was founded on Christian values.
Oh, our school is founded on Christian values and so, there are no cults; all our kids are morally upright…
Crap!
Deeper Life school is also founded on Christian values, in fact their Christianity wears a gele and yet, the Principal of the school and three officials are today remanded in Prison for their complicity in the assault on Don Davis. Even his fellow students who were found to have stuck their fingers in his anus will be tried in juvenile courts!
The school should take a step back and do a thorough investigation and they will be shocked at what children these days are up to.
Sylvester will not be the only boy who refused to join the cult group; there will be others, cowering in the shadows, too scared to talk because the school or their fellow students will attack them or make them pay!
To make sweeping statements that your school is pristine and your students above board is actually irresponsible of any organization in this day and age!
Parents shouldn’t fall for this because you can never tell what your children/wards are up to. Too many parents have been shocked to their bone marrows when confronted with things their children were caught doing.
To date, Karen’s murderer(s ) is either still walking free, they could be fellow students; teahers, members of the school’s authority…justice must be served to these children who died needless deaths!
While the culprits in Sylvester’s case may be grilled to confess what led to the boy’s death, unfortunately, Karen didn’t live long enough to tell her parents who raped and sodomised her her, she took the secret to her grave. Everyone culpable must be made to face the law, this will hopefully serve as a deterrent to others.
I’m aware this sort of thing will be met with a brick wall of silence especially from students who either fear the cult’s backlash for being snitches yet, if the truth doesn’t come out, the perpetrators will only become bolder.
Who suffers?
Parents.
No parent should have to bury their own child (ren). No parent should get that call from their child’s school to come pick up a child that has been raped, beaten half to death and never find answers to why their child was given such horrible treatment.
I saw the video of Sylvester being shared on social media and it is a horrible thing to watch. The boy’s injuries are internal, you don’t even need to go to med school to know. This boy had ingested something that cooked him from the inside out, literally.
There’s got to be answers.
Our children shouldn’t die brutal deaths in safe environments, so Lagos state must not stop at merely shutting the school. The culprits must be found. The three boys whose photos have been shared online as the culprits must be arrested and interrogated.
Here’s praying the families of the deceased will find closure…somehow.