Dr Sunday Soyemi, the pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), who conducted an autopsy on the body of Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, yesterday said the pupil of Dowen College, Lagos died of Septicemia (Sepsis).
Dr. Soyemi said this while being led in evidence by Director of Public Prosecution, Dr Jide Martins.
The physician testified that his findings during the autopsy indicated that the 12-year-old died of generalised infection of the body.
“It was infection of the lungs; the deceased also had infection of the liver, the kidneys, infection of right arm, the soft tissue of the muscles covering the bone below the ankle against. The summary of these is that he had generalised infections,” the doctor said.
Dr. Soyemi said the condition of Sylvester Oromoni Jnr. could have been treated if he were given proper treatment and medication, adding that his illness was not terminal.
“What could have been used in treating him was massive doses of intravenous, antibiotic, intravenous fluid and blood transfusion,” he said.
During resumed proceedings before the Coroner, Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri, the pathologist said further that the first pathologist who conducted the initial autopsy on the deceased failed to cut some organs that would have revealed whether or not the boy died of ingestion of a poisonous substance.
Dr. Soyemi said a black substance was discovered in the intestine of the deceased during the second autopsy but he added that he did not carry out a test to determine what the black substance was because LASUTH doesn’t have a toxicology laboratory.
While cross-examining the witness, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, asked if it was proper for one of the 14 persons present at the post mortem, Dr. Iwikwe Chikwodili Isabella, who represented one of the accused students, to speak on Arise TV about autopsy findings, the pathologist said, “That’s not the practice; it is not normal and not the usual thing”.
He also said he was embarrassed when the report was being discussed on TV.
“I was embarrassed in the sense that she didn’t perform the autopsy; she observed all through. It’s not the normal practice even if you did the autopsy,” he said.
