The coroner inquest to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Sylvester Omoroni, a student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, was stalled yesterday in Ikeja.

The development followed the failure of two witnesses, including the deceased’s father, Mr Sylvester Oromoni (Snr.) and his sister to appear before the Coroner, Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri.

Counsel to the Oromonis, Andrew Efole ascribed their failure to appear before the Coroner to ill health.

He said: “The girl who ought to testify is sick, the father who ought to be here is attending to the child who is receiving treatment.”

Counsel to Dowen College, Anthony Okpoko expressed dissatisfaction at the interview granted by Sylvester Oromoni (Snr) published yesterday in a national daily, despite a restraining order by the court to all parties from making comments to the press.

He said: “This is a breach.”

Magistrate Kadiri reiterated his order and said he might have to issue summon on the said relatives.

“When has he single-handedly decided to be the Coroner?” Magistrate Kadiri asked.

Efole apologised to the court on behalf of his clients for their absence.

“We are not saying we will not call our witnesses… other witnesses, we are taking is coming tomorrow,” he said.

The  Lagos State Counsel, Akin George, urged the court to apply Coroner System Law: Section  48(10) which states that “any person whose act or conduct contravenes any of the provisions of this law where no penalty is specified, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to (two) 2 years’ imprisonment.

The Coroner, having heard submissions of the counsels in respect of witnesses’ non-appearance on two consecutive times, last Friday and yesterday, expressed worry that it appeared that the party who requested for the inquest is now stalling it.

Further hearing continues today.

In another development, Justice Abiola Soladoye of an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, yesterday sentenced a man, Blessing Okon, to life imprisonment for defiling a nine-year-old girl (names withheld).

Justice Soladoye found Okon guilty of a one-count charge of defilement brought against him by the state government.

Delivering judgment on the matter, the judge held that the prosecution succeeded in proving the essential ingredients of defilement beyond a reasonable doubt.

According to the Judge, the plaintiff was consistent in her statement and oral testimony which she said was corroborated by other pieces of evidence before the court.

Justice Soladoye held that the corroborative evidence showed penetration of the hymen and that there was an injury to the virginal lining.

The judge declared the convict as “lacking in compassion” for having sexual activity with a nine-year-old girl.

“The defendant is shameless and has been having sex with the plaintiff since she was nine.”

She also ordered that the name of the convict should be added to the register of sexual offenders of Lagos State.

Justice Soladoye commended the Chaplain of the Survivor’s School that reported the incident.