A 12-year-old boy, Sylvester Oromoni, has died after he was allegedly beaten by fellow students for refusing to join cultism at Dowen College, a boarding school in Lagos, Nigeria.
Oromoni’s death sparked social media protest with the hash tag #JusticeforSylvester prompting the Lagos state government to close down the school.
Hundreds of influential voices and groups have called for an investigation into the case.
Dowen’s management had claimed the boy died from injuries he sustained during a football game in school. A stance the boy’s parents disagreed with saying their late son told them he was beaten for refusing to join cultism.
A video evidence posted online has shown that the 12-year-old was grievously bruised and writhing in excruciating pains before his unfortunate demise.
A video of his final moments shared by a relative identified as @Perrisonoromoni on Twitter showed that young Oromoni had injuries on him, with his lips swollen as blood was also spotted on his teeth, an indication that he also had injuries in the mouth.
The young Oromoni could be seen in the video groaning in pains as his mother and other caregivers were massaging his joints and limbs.
“It shall never be well with them. For them to hit my son like this, my God will judge them,” his mother was heard saying as she massaged him.
“How can the school authorities, Dowen College, not know about this?” She asked agonisingly.
The relative on Twitter also said that the Junior Secondary School Two student complained about his throat and stomach while in the hospital.
“He kept complaining about his throat and stomach. He said he was given something to drink,” Perrison Oromoni wrote on Twitter.
Mr Oromoni had told The reporters that young Oromoni was battered by his co-students over his refusal to join a cult. According to him, the doctor confirmed that the late student had been beaten up, causing internal damages.
