Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo,
announced the closure after a meeting with the School’s Management and Staff.
The college on its own had announced a two-day closure,
today and Monday, asking the students to use the time to study for the
forthcoming exams.
Adefisayo said the college will remain shut pending the
outcome of an investigation into the death of Master Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr), a
student of the school.
Adefisayo called for calm among the stakeholders, stressing
that no effort will be spared in getting to the root of the incident.
The death of the 12-year-old student of the college, Oromoni
Jnr., had sparked various reactions from celebrities and Nigerians alike.
Reports had emerged that Oromoni was bullied and beaten by
fellow students. The supposed injuries from the beating led to his death,
according to a Twitter user with the handle @perrisonoromoni, who claimed to be
the boy’s cousin.
However, in a statement on Wednesday, the school denied all
allegations stating that Oromoni was neither bullied nor beaten but only
complained of hip pain after playing football.
The child’s father, who bears the same name as the student,
stated that contrary to what Dowen College had said in the statement, the
family friend who they sent to pick up Oromoni Jnr. from the school described a
totally different situation.
The bereaved father stated that his son was bullied and
beaten to stupor as he said, “The next day, we sent a family friend to help
pick up our son since he was the only person in Lagos and take him to the
hospital. When he got there, he panicked, pointing out that he doubts it’s a
football injury as the school claimed.”