BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
The family of murdered 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lagos State, Sylvester Oromoni, Jnr, has faulted the Yaba Magistrate court’s decision to grant bail to the suspects.
The Magistrate court had on Tuesday granted N1 million bail to each of the five students of Dowen College who were charged by the police with conspiracy and homicide in the murder of Oromoni.
The presiding Chief Magistrate, Olatunbosun Adeola, ordered the defendants to produce two sureties each in like sum.
However, the father of the slain student, Sylvester Oromoni, has queried the rationale behind the bail when the 21 days requested by the police for investigation was yet to elapse.
The bereaved father warned that the suspects’ release might hinder the investigation, noting that while the family was not against granting the bail, the court should have waited at least for the 21 days to elapse.
He said, “Yesterday I was called that those boys were granted bail by a Magistrate Court in Yaba, Lagos. I said, “why?” I now called the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State and he told me; I was not aware, and that they were not done with the investigation.
“I called the DCP in charge of the case who later confirmed to me that the story is true.
“But it was a surprise to me that the same judge gave them 21 days which expires on the 28th of this month when the police requested for the remand order. The court granted 21 days to keep those boys.
“And the 21 days have not expired, and the court granted them bail. I am calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Lagos State Government and the Inspector General of Police to please take note.
“Secondly, the police said they are not done with the investigation, that granting the boys bail will not help their investigation, they are getting more facts.
“And they were even planning that after the 21 days if they are not done with their investigation, they will ask for an extension. I am surprised that the court granted them bail when the date given has not elapsed.
“I am not a lawyer but what the family is saying is that they should allow the police to conclude their investigation. I am not saying that they should not be granted bail but it is the court that gave the police 21 days,” he added.
The defendants were on December 9 remanded in a juvenile home over the death of Sylvester, who was allegedly bullied in school for refusing to join a cult.
Sylvester later died from injuries sustained from the alleged attack and ingestion of an unknown substance.
The police last week released the corpse of Sylvester to his family for burial after the conduct of an autopsy to ascertain the cause of his death.
