By Adenike Ayodele
A nurse at Dowen College, Lagos, Mrs Kafayat Usman, on Monday said she had no physical contact with the late 12-year-old student of the school, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., allegedly beaten up by some senior students.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kafayat testified before an Ikeja Coroner’s Court unravelling the circumstances sorrounding the death of the student.
The nurse, who joined Dowen College on Sept. 4, 2021, as a full-time nurse, refused to swear by the Holy Quran before testifying.
She said that she was menstruating.
The witness told the court that she worked from Monday to Friday.
While responding to questions from the Coroner, Mr Mikhail Kadiri, the nurse said that she did not come in contact with the deceased in the course of her work.
“I did not know him and I had no physical contact with him. I have never attended to him.
” I work as a full-time nurse at Dowen College but I am a day nurse.
“I work from 8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. I do not work on weekends,” she said.
The coroner asked: “It would be wrong if suggested by anybody that you massaged and attended to the deceased in anyway whatsoever?”
The witness replied in the affirmative.
During cross-examination by counsel to the Oromoni’s family, Mr A.E. Efole, the witness, said she was not aware that the deceased was treated sometime in April 2021.
She also told the court that the school’s sick bay was not open on weekends.
“Since you do not work on weekends, who takes care of sick students on weekends?” Efole asked.
The nurse replied: “The sick bay is not opened on weekends. I became aware of the deceased’s case on Nov. 30, 2021, at the school premises.
“Dr Bisiriyu and I both resume and close at the same time. We both work from Monday to Friday.
“I am not aware if she is a doctor in any American Hospital,” the nurse said.
The witness said she did not make any statement to the police when she became aware of the death of the student.
The coroner adjourned proceedings until April 5 for continuation of hearing.
NAN reports that it was alleged by the Oromoni family that the 12-year-old student died on Nov. 30, 2021, from injuries sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College for refusing to join a cult.
It was also alleged that he was forced to drink a substance by his attackers.
Advice by the Lagos State DPP released on Jan. 4, however, disputed the allegations.
It stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the student’s death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis. (NAN)