Metro News

Sylvester Oromoni: Pathologist display over 100 graphic autopsy photos at coroner’s inquest

Published

5 years ago

February 8, 2022

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The coroner inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of late Sylvester Oromoni, a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, continued on Tuesday, as over a hundred graphic autopsy photographs were shown at an Ikeja Coroner’s Court.

The photographs were displayed on a projector during the testimony of Dr Sunday Soyemi, the pathologist who led the team that conducted a second autopsy on Dec. 14, 2022 on the deceased.

According to reports, the first autopsy was conducted on Dec. 2, 2021 by Dr Clement Vhriterhire, a Consultant Pathologist with Central Hospital Warri, Delta.

The photographs showed the corpse of the deceased on an autopsy table at the Lagos State University Hospital (LASUTH). The corpse had visible incisions from the first autopsy.

The pathologist was led in evidence by Dr Jide Martins, the Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Throwing some light during a slideshow of photographs of body parts of the deceased, Soyemi said: “On his right thigh was the embalmment site and an injury was shown on his right ankle.

“On the back of his left wrist appears to be a circular bruise. On the right side of his face, above the right eyebrow is what looks like a C-shaped incision.

“This was done during an attempt to remove the brain at the first autopsy. It is a postmortem injury.

“There’s a recent external injury on the right lower limb. This is where we saw the Pyelonephritis (infection). It was never mentioned in the first autopsy.

“The marks on the chin are postmortem injuries acquired after death.”

Shedding light on a photograph of late Oromoni’s heart and lungs, the pathologist said the organs should have been separated at the first autopsy.

“The two lungs should have been severed and weighed, likewise the heart.

“I made several incisions on the lungs and I found areas that showed consolidation which means lobal pneumonia,” he said.

The pathologist said samples were taken from the lungs of the deceased and taken to a laboratory for testing.

“We looked at it under the microscope and we confirmed that lobal pneumonia.

“When I opened the heart, no pathology (illness) was found. This is a photograph of the liver, I was trying to remove the gall bladder which was not removed at the first autopsy, there are many reasons why the gall bladder must be removed.

“I made several cuts to the liver and sent to the lab and it showed he had hepatitis, an infection of the liver,” he said.

Soyemi noted that the kidney was also not dissected during the first autopsy and that when parts of the kidney were examined at the laboratory, it was shown to have an infection called pyelonephritis.

He noted that the intestines were not opened during the first autopsy and that when he examined the intestines, it was not damaged but that it contained a blackish substance which was probably what the deceased had injested.

“I checked for deep bruising through the process called skinning. There was skinning of the back to check for deep bruising and none were found.

“If he was physically assaulted, the exposed areas will show haemorrhage.

“There is reddening in the lower parts of the legs, this shows that the embalming fluid did not get to that part. The body was not properly embalmed.

“The ankles have been opened and we can see brown discoloration. A section was taken from that part and it was bringing out pus,” he said.

The pathologist said he opened the skull and examined the brain of the deceased. He noticed that the brain was very pale and did not contain enough blood.

He also showed the inquest, radiographs of the total body x-ray performed on the corpse prior to the autopsy.

Soyemi said the x-ray was performed to determine if there were any fractures or skeletal injuries on the deceased. He noted that none were found.

Giving his findings, the pathologist said “death was ascribed to a generalised infection known as septicemia.

“We were able to identify the source and it could not be treated. What could have been used in treating the deceased is a massive dose of intravenous antibiotics, intravenous fluids and blood transfusions.”

Following the testimony of the pathologist, counsel for Dowen College, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the accused Dowen College students waived their rights to be served copies of the autopsy photographs.

“We will rely on the records of the court. We do not want to be a part of any possible leakage of these sensitive documents,” Mr Anthony Kpokpo, the counsel for Dowen College said.

Meanwhile, earlier during proceedings, before the photographs were displayed, the DPP informed the inquest that copies of the photographs were not served on all the parties to the proceedings.

“We tendered the photographs to the court but we did not serve other parties due to the confidentiality of the deceased,” Martins said.

Counsel for the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Bernard Oniga, in his submission pleaded for confidentiality of the photographs and urged counsel present not to release the photographs to social media.

The pathologist also pleaded that the photographs should not be released.

“If those photos should get to social media, the Medical and Dental Council will sanction me due to a breach in doctor, patient confidentiality,” Soyemi said.

Counsel for the Oromoni family, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), assured Soyemi that he would not be sanctioned.

“As a former counsel to the Medical and Dental Council, court proceedings are exempted by the council. You are protected,” he said

Related Topics:Coroner Inquest DOWEN COLLEGE SYLVESTER OROMONI

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Metro News

NDLEA arrests South African woman with drug shipments, seizes large consignment of drugs at Lagos airport

Published

13 hours ago

October 11, 2026

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested a South African, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 30 parcels of Thai Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 32.74 kilogrammes, at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the drugs were concealed in two travelling bags.

The statement added that the suspect travelled from Thailand through Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431.

“She confessed to having previously trafficked through other African countries, and was expanding her route to Port Harcourt when she was caught.”

Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted a shipment of 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20kg from Pakistan.

Babafemi said the consignment arrived aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight on September 29 and was placed under surveillance before a joint examination on Tuesday, October 6, uncovered the drugs in nine cartons.

In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers intercepted 70 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, weighing 75.90kg in six Ghana-Must-Go bags contained in a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom.

The statement said the shipment was monitored after arriving on September 29.

A clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was arrested on September 30, while an Uber driver, Taofiq Ajibola, 54, was apprehended while collecting one of the bags at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi.

The agency said Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, were subsequently arrested when they came to collect the remaining five bags.

According to Babafemi, Ajibola said the drugs were sent by a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu, while Dosunmu claimed his consignment came from another UK-based man identified as Yusuf.

In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives arrested 46-year-old Adama Inuwa at Iyala Nkun village, Ikom Local Government Area, on Sunday, October 4, following surveillance.

Babafemi said the operation led to the recovery of 181 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,100kg and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, officers intercepted a black Toyota Camry conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83kg at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on Monday, October 5.

The agency said Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

In a separate raid at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, operatives arrested 26-year-old Ojugo Mercy with 989 grammes of Loud, 13 grammes of Colorado and 83 grammes of methamphetamine.

In Ondo State, a 21-year-old suspect, Happy Endurance, was arrested at her hideout in the Shasha area of Akure on October 5, with 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290kg.

The statement added that a separate raid on an apartment at Oba-Ile, Akure, on the same day led to the arrest of 42-year-old Tunde Adebayo, with 35 bags of cannabis weighing 351kg.

In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village, Wukari Local Government Area, on Friday, October 9.

Babafemi said the suspects were found with 166,200 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 107kg.

In Kano State, a stop-and-search operation along the Kano-Maiduguri Road on October 9 led to the arrest of 32-year-old Yahaya Musa with 24,990 capsules of tramadol, 50,000 tablets of diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5.

In Kaduna State, operatives on patrol along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway arrested 29-year-old Mohammed Musa with 31 jumbo bags and 775 blocks of skunk weighing a combined 1,027kg.

The agency also arrested Musbau Balogun Adekunle in Orile, Lagos, on Tuesday, October 6, with 32.51kg of skunk and 52.65kg of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 85.16kg.

In Plateau State, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju at Rukuba Road, Jos, on Thursday, October 8, recovering methamphetamine, firearms and ammunition.

According to the statement, the items seized included 47 grammes of methamphetamine, two pump-action rifles, one locally made gun, 199 live cartridges, five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and one round of 9mm ammunition.

The agency said its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign also continued across the country, with lectures delivered to students and staff of schools in Oyo, Ebonyi, Niger, Kano, Lagos and Ogun states.

Among the institutions reached were Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Eghugo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; and Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos State.

Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised personnel of the Lagos, MMIA, PHIA, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau Commands.

Babafemi said Marwa commended the officers “for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations” and urged them “to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.”

Metro News

NDLEA arrests 83-year-old ex-convict with Colorado, meth in Abia

Published

14 hours ago

October 11, 2026

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have rearrested an 83-year-old grandmother, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, with consignments of methamphetamine and Colorado.

The arrest comes barely a year after the grandmother was convicted of drug-related offences.

Uloma was first arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to Babafemi, the octogenarian was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, with the substances allegedly tied around her waist with a wrapper.

Her arrest followed credible intelligence indicating that she operated a notorious drug joint allegedly harbouring criminal elements terrorising the community.

During her first arrest in May, operatives recovered 50 grammes of methamphetamine, 522 grammes of skunk, 260 grammes of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grammes of tramadol from the Uloma and her daughter.

According to the statement, “Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each. They paid the fine and were released by the court”

The NDLEA spokesman alleged that the elderly woman returned to the illicit drug trade after her release.

“Undeterred, the notorious old woman promptly returned to the criminal trade and escalated the scale by setting up a drug joint where she harbours dangerous characters,” the statement added.

Metro News

Varsity lecturer dies after sex romp with prostitute in hotel room

Published

4 days ago

October 7, 2026

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A senior lecturer at the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, identified as Dr. Matthew Uwuigbe, has repeatedly died in a hotel room after an alleged sexual encounter with a 21-year-old commercial sex worker, identified as Angela Defa Jacob.

The incident, according to a report by Punch online, happened on Sunday at a hotel in the Mosco area of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

It was gathered that the lecturer had checked into the hotel with the sex worker and died moments after the romp.

Spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, Eno Ikoedem, who confirmed the incident, said three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

She said, “On October 5, 2026, at about 8 pm, the command received a report that Matthew Uwuigbe, a lecturer at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, had lodged at a hotel in Ekpoma and engaged the services of a 21-year-old sex worker, Angela Defa Jacob.

“He subsequently sent the woman to purchase water for him, and upon her return, she found him lying dead in the room.”

Ikoedem said the hotel owner, the manager and the sex worker are currently in custody while investigation continues. The corpse, she added, has been deposited at the Oriaifo Memorial Hospital mortuary.

The university’s Public Relations Officer, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, confirmed that Uwuigbe is a staff member of the institution, but said the incident occurred outside the campus.

“We are not denying that he is our staff, but whatever he did and what happened, it is his private life. The girl in question is not our student, and everything happened outside our institution,” he told the News outlet.