Dr. Sokunle Soyemi, a pathologist, told an Ikeja Coroner’s Court on Tuesday that the first autopsy performed on the late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., a 12-year-old Dowen College pupil, from Warri, Delta State, was mishandled.
Soyemi claimed this while testifying on behalf of the Lagos State Government during an inquest into Oromoni’s death.
“These are only a few of the things he didn’t do, your honour.” I’ll admit that he botched the autopsy. This, your honour, is the source of the case’s disagreement,” Soyemi stated.
Dr. Jide Martins, the Director of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, testified on his behalf (DPP).
Soyemi stated that the body of the late Dowen student was obtained on Dec. 13, 2021, at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, and that the following day, in the presence of seven other pathologists, he performed an autopsy on him.
He stated that the initial autopsy was performed incorrectly since the doctor failed to open the oesophagus (food pipe) and trachea (air pipe).
“The original report’s conclusion was chemical poisoning. In order for someone to be intoxicated by a substance, it must first pass through the food system.
You can’t talk about chemical intoxication unless you open the food chain.” The substance that is harmful to one’s health should be able to travel through the oesophagus.
If it didn’t pass through the oesophagus, it shouldn’t have been anything close to chemical intoxication,” Soyemi added.
According to Soyemi, if the initial pathologist had done the above and weighed the lungs, the weight alone would have indicated that something was amiss with the lungs.
Soyemi revealed that Oromoni suffered lobal pneumonia (lung illness) and a liver infection after the judgment.
“He also had a renal infection as well as an infection of the right ankle, including the soft tissue and muscle that covers the bone.”
The findings, according to Soyemi, revealed that Sylvester died of septicemia, lobal pneumonia, and pyelonephritis (kidney infection) caused by pyelonephritis of the right ankle.
Also Read: Cousin of 12-Yr-Old Sylvester Oromoni Accuses Lagos Police Of Hoarding Autopsy Results. (Photos)
“We urge the coroner to halt the DPP’s attempt to appoint an expert in a case that isn’t before the court.”
“The DPP should have handed over the initial autopsy report to the witness and asked him to compare it to his own,
it is not his responsibility to comment on another autopsy result.” Falana stated.
Soyemi was testifying on the first autopsy report, which the DPP had not presented before the inquest, he added.
The DPP responded by stating that the witness, as an expert witness, owed the court a duty to explain all factors pertinent to the inquest’s determination.
He claimed the witness was providing further information about the autopsy he performed on late Oromoni, notably the state of the deceased’s body.
As a result, he postponed the hearing until February 14 to allow for the continuation of the case.