Sylvester Oromoni Snr has pledged not to bury his late 12-year-old son, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, a student at Dowen College in Lagos, unless he gets justice.
He also criticized the autopsy results from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja, suggesting foul play.
Sylvester's death became viral after his cousin, Perry Oromoni, alleged on social media that some senior students at the institution beat him up in his hostel because he refused to join a cult.
The school refuted the accusation, claiming that the youngster had complained of leg aches as a result of a sports injury.
The state government ordered the school to be closed indefinitely pending the result of the investigation.
The police arrested five students and five school staff, but legal counsel from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Adetutu Oshinusi, cleared the suspects.
Sylvester died of "acute lung injury owing to chemical poisoning in a backdrop of physical force trauma," according to an autopsy conducted by Clement Vhriterhire, a consultant pathologist at the Central Hospital Warri.
The cause of death, according to the interim and final autopsy reports from LASUTH, was "septicaemia, lobar pneumonia with acute pyelonephritis and pyomyositis of the right ankle."
On Friday, the state's departing Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said the toxicology report of the first autopsy in Warri, signed by Vhriterhire, was released on December 30, 2021, attributing the cause of death to "acute bacteria pneumonia due to severe sepsis."
Sylvester Snr and Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had spoken out against the DPP's recommendations, with the latter calling the report "escapist and hasty."
Falana had said, “The report has not laid to rest the allegations surrounding the gruesome murder of Sylvester Oromoni. The report is escapist and hasty as the authorities are aware of the fact that the Chief Coroner of Lagos State has ordered that an inquest be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the unnatural death of Sylvester Oromoni. The inquest, which commenced before the coroner on December 16, 2021, has been adjourned till January 15, 2022 for further hearing.”
Speaking to PUNCH on Friday the father said the case had yet to have a closure, insisting that his son would not be buried until “justice is served” even if it took as long as 30 years.
He said, “The family does not have power. We only rely on God. If they insist that the school will reopen, there is no problem. If God keeps me for 20 or 30 years, I will follow up this case. Government will come, the government will go. I am not bothered. The soul of that boy is crying round. God is alive; He cannot be bribed.
“My son will never be buried. If it takes me 30 years to get justice, he would remain there (in the mortuary). He is my son; I won’t bury him. Nigerians should look beyond what they are saying.”