The family of late Buruji Kashamu, a National Assembly former member, has distanced the son of the deceased lawmaker, Adewale Kashamu, from being among those responsible for the death of Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, a 12-year-old student of Dowen College in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.
It said that their son, Adewale, who was the deceased student’s ex-school father, did not bully or beat Oromoni nor was he aware of the actions that allegedly led to his death, as against what was being published and circulating publicly online.
According to the family, the son of the deceased senator had an interaction with the 12-year-old student last month after discovering he was limping.
It argued that Adewale, considering his relationship with the deceased, thought that he was injured while playing football and advised him to visit the school’s clinic for medical care.
Through a statement released made available to newsmen and signed by Mutairu Kashamu on Sunday, the family hinted that Adewale’s interaction with the deceased started during Oromoni’s first session at the college during which he served as his school father as requested by the late boy’s sister, who happens to be a student of the school.
The family said Adewale’s interaction with Oromoni reduced in the 2021 academic session after he was moved to a different floor in the boarding house.
It explained that the reasons for delaying their comment on the incident the delay on the incident were to enable it to conduct a proper check before reacting to the “insults” coming the family’s way since the news of Oromoni’s death broke.
While empathizing with the family over the death of their son, the Kashamu family cautioned against unguided comment and appealed to Nigerians to hold their horses until the Nigerian Police and the Lagos State government complete their ongoing independent investigations aimed at establishing the truth.
“Since the news of the unfortunate incident broke, we have made our private inquiries and carefully questioned our son about his involvement. This is why we did not rush out to respond to the cyber-stalking, name-calling, and negative commentaries that have taken over social media about our son’s alleged involvement in this sad incident.
“Our son, Adewale Michael Kashamu, had acted as a school father for the late Sylvester in his first session in the school at the request of Sylvester’s sister who is also a student of the school.
However, in the 2021 session commencing in September 2021 Adewale Michael Kashamu was moved to a different floor in the boarding house and engrossed in his studies and activities, he was no longer as close to Sylvester as in the previous session.
“Adewale Michael Kashamu is a compassionate and considerate boy. Sometime last session, some boys had been accused of beating Sylvester with belts and seizing his foodstuff but Adewale Michael Kashamu was not involved at all. He was in fact in sympathy with Sylvester over that incident.
“On that occasion, Sylvester’s parents made a report to the school and the affected students were questioned and one of them at least was suspended.
“Adewale Michael Kashamu is not aware that an identical incident occurred again this year leading to Sylvester’s injury and death.
“Adewale Michael Kashamu had seen Sylvester limping sometime late in November and (assuming he might have been injured playing football) merely empathized with him and advised him to go to the school clinic.
“Other students who knew the circumstances of Sylvester’s leg injury have all testified that he was injured whilst playing football.
“Whilst he was in school, Sylvester had no visible injury to his lips or face. Sylvester’s family has admitted that Sylvester’s swollen, blistered and bloody lips (as shown in videos and pictures, now viral on the internet) were reactions to medications given to Sylvester after he had been taken from the school by his parents.
“We feel and can relate to the pains of the Oromoni family and all those genuinely concerned about this unfortunate incident. That is why we wish to express our readiness to cooperate with the parents of the deceased, the Police, the Lagos State government, and other relevant stakeholders to get to the root of this matter so that the cause of justice will not only be served but manifestly seen to have been served.
“However, it is regrettable that of the five names that were mentioned in relation to the incident, it is only Kashamu’s name that seems to ring a bell. Consequently, the family and its late patriarch (Senator Buruji Kashamu of blessed memory) have been the butt of irresponsible, falsehood-based, and unwarranted attacks even when the full details of the incident are not yet known.
“There is no denying the fact that Adewale Michael Kashamu is one of the children of the late Senator Buruji Kashamu. But, no family or parent will send a child to school to be involved in any form of crime or criminality; just like no parent would be happy to be informed that a child he or she sent to school to learn has been molested or killed under any guise.
“That is why we wish to appeal for restraint on all sides. The cyber-bullying of our family will not help in any way to solve the bullying in schools that society through the ages has desired to stop”, parts of the statement read.
