The principal, Mrs. Adebisi Layiwola of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos has admitted this before the Lagos State Coroner, Mikhail Kadiri that there had been reported cases of bullying at the college before the one that led to the death of the 12 year old pupil, Sylvester Oromoni.
While under cross examination by the lawyer to the Oromoni family, Femi Falana, SAN, Mrs Layiwola who was under oath, also adopted her witness statement dated January 31, 2022. She admitted that there is bullying in the school and that some students have been suspended in the school and others expelled. She said she was not aware that one of the students expelled as a result is still a student in the school whose name is Micheal Nwoye.
The role played by Benjamin Favour, one of the students who allegedly brutalized Oromoni also came to the fore. Favour was the pupil who allegedly asked the deceased to describe his elder sister’s private part. Mrs Layiwola admitted that it was a serious matter. However, under cross examination by A.A George from Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mrs Layiwola explained further that it was recommended that Benjamin Favour be given two weeks internal suspension and made to apologize to the deceased and his sister. The Principal also explained further that those students who bullied Gbogwa were expelled from the school.
She admitted that the school did not have a Parents Teachers Association (PTA), a statutory association of teachers and parents, where issues that concern the school are discussed every term. In its place, the principal said the school has a Parents Forum.
Falana also confronted her with the contradiction in her statement to the police dated December 2, 2021where she said the deceased had leg injury and in her witness statement at paragraph 5 she said pains in right hip. She admitted further that it was the medical doctor who told her it was hip pain.
She said the school doctor Bisiriyu Mojisola, an employee of Dowen College works Mondays to Fridays but not aware that the said doctor is a full time staff of America Hospital. A document to show that the said doctor is a staff of the American Hospital was shown to her and was admitted as exhibit.
So also when further asked if she is aware that the School Board of Dowen College has been dissolved, she denied the same and a document to disprove her was equally shown to her and was admitted as exhibit. These said two documents were admitted after the court’s ruling to the effect that the documents are relevant upon objection by the school counsel, Anthony Kpokpo and two other counsel who aligned themselves with the objection of the said Anthony Kpokpo.
Being a fact finding panel, the court on its own asked the principal if she would be surprised that a student said no punishment was meted out to the student involved in the case of the deceased sister and the principal replied that it is possible.
Under cross examination by Ohandiwa Izuchukwu, counsel to one of the defendants, the principal admitted that it was actually Benjamin Favour who told the sister of the deceased that the deceased had seen her nudity. It was this same Benjamin Favour who asked the deceased to describe his sister’s private part.
