President Bola Tinubu has declared April 7 as National Police Day.

Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made this known on Monday night during the maiden edition of the Nigeria Police Awards and Commendations ceremony held in the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

The president identified a complete overhaul of institutional mentality and memory of police officers as fundamental in his administration’s ongoing bid to transform the force into a modern, professional and accountable institution.


According to Tinubu, his administration had initiated wide-ranging reforms to revitalize the nation’s police force since assuming office in 2023.

He, therefore, stressed the need to engage men and women of the force in training and capacity-building to equip them with the expertise required to carry out the arduous task of modern policing.

He also disclosed that the Federal Government had approved the first week of April as police week and the last day of the week as the National Police Day.


“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in our tradition of honouring the Police Force in the life of this great nation, we have approved the adoption of the first week of April as Police Week.

“Furthermore, the last day of the week, April 7th, is hereby declared National Police Day in Nigeria.

“Tonight, I must remind you that we don’t see you as just the shields of the nation, we don’t see you as robots.


“This is why we are here; we are here to humanise you.

“At a time in Nigeria’s history, when the nation’s security architecture is being stretched beyond elastic limits, the citizens have been able to endure in the face of security threats as well as attacks on their lives and livelihoods due to the commitment of the police.

“Your exemplary valour doesn’t only represent the pinnacle of patriotism that binds us but also instils confidence that brighter days lie just beyond the horizon,” he said.


The president listed part of the comprehensive reforms by his administration to rejuvenate the police force to include investment in training and capacity-building.

…It’s Curious Coroner Ignored Evidence, Falana Faults Ruling

The Coroner, Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri inquiring into the cause of death of the late 12 year old student of Dowen College, Lagos, Sylvester Oromoni, has returned a verdict that the deceased died a natural death.

In a judgment that lasted over 6 hours, the coroner also held that the boy’s death which occurred on November 30, 2021, was avoidable as the negligence of the parents and the medical team also contributed to it.

He said the evidence gathered showed that the late Sylvester suffered “avoidable excruciating pain” due to parental and medical negligence, which led to his “needless” death.

Thirty-two witnesses in all testified in the coroner’s inquest which started sitting on January 15, 2022.

They included the parents of the late student, the management of Dowen College as well as some teachers, members of staff and some students alleged to have bullied the late student.

Others who testified were police officers who investigated the incident as well medical doctors and pathologists.

Among the evidence relied on were the findings of two autopsies conducted on the late student in Warri, Delta state and Lagos.

The autopsies revealed the cause of death to include septicemia which demanded urgent medical care but which was not given timeously.

The autopsy conducted on the deceased at the Central Hospital, Warri, Delta state, had only the family members present, and another conducted at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, had about ten pathologists representing various parties including the family, Lagos state government and Dowen College participated.

Reading from his notes, Magistrate Kadiri said, “Death was caused by Septicaemia (a life-threatening health condition caused by a patient’s body’s response to an infection), following infections of the lungs and kidneys arising from the ankle wound.

“No evidence of blunt force trauma in this body. The findings in the oesophagus and stomach are not compatible with chemical intoxication. Death, in this case, is natural.

“Dr Sunday Soyemi, who led the Lagos procedure has stated in the autopsy report that sepsis, which led to the death of the boy, could have been treated with “massive doses of intravenous antibiotic, intravenous fluid and blood transfusion”, but which was never done.”

“From the evidence, Sylvester was said to have sustained an injury on his ankle between November 20 and 21, following first aid treatment, the school contacted his parents to come and pick him up for further treatment”.

“A guardian was sent to the school who took him for an X-ray, but no fracture was detected. But, he wasn’t taken to a hospital for care in Lagos until days later when he was moved to his base in warri, and treated at home by the family doctor, Henry Aghogho”.

The Coroner slammed the family doctor, Henry Aghogho for not providing the required duty of care for the patient whose home care treatment he said was “trivialized” despite early diagnosis.

“The doctor was found to have abandoned the deceased for more than 32 hours and didn’t carry out an X-ray and scan early enough which would have revealed his deteriorating condition”.

The coroner, who broke down in tears several times while reading his findings and even rose at a point to comport himself, said the case was touching but needed objectivity.

He exonerated the school of negligence and the five senior students accused of bullying the deceased and administering a poisonous substance on him.

“The alleged suspects played no part in Sylvester’s death, but were victims of their past misdeeds. They were falsely accused, no staff of Dowen College played any role in the death.

“The school has improved on their facilities since the incident. The claims of chemical intoxication was never proven, and the faces of those allegedly bullying the deceased weren’t seen. The alleged confession of Sylvester was denied by several witnesses. Even if he was beaten, it didn’t lead to his death.”

The Coroner also gave some recommendations to forestall further incidents of this sad nature. He advised parents not to take their children’s health with levity.

He also called for a synergy between the police, medical team going forward as well as for the police force to ensure due caution before arrests are made.

He further recommended that that management of Dowen College to ensure documentation of entry and exit of students out of the hostel, as well as proper psychological evaluation for the 5 students suspected to have bullied the deceased.

The late Oromoni Jnr reportedly died on November 30, 2021, at a private hospital in Warri, Delta State following health complications that allegedly occurred at his school, Dowen College, Lagos.

Following his death, the Lagos State Government set up a coroner’s inquest to investigate the circumstances of his death which began in January 2022.

Meanwhile, Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has questioned the ruling of Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri, the Coroner who investigated the death of Master Sylvester Oromoni, a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos State.

In the ruling delivered on Monday, the Coroner Lagos exonerated Dowen College and blamed the death of the deceased on the negligence of the family doctor.

Reacting moments after the ruling, Falana said “It is curious that the coroner ignored the evidence of the government pathologist that the “black substance” found in the stomach of the deceased was not subjected to toxicological examination.

Falana’s statement read, “In his lengthy ruling delivered today, Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri, the Coroner who investigated the unfortunate death of Master Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos exonerated the authorities of Dowen College and blamed the unfortunate death of the deceased on the negligence of the family doctor.

“It is curious that the coroner ignored the evidence of the government pathologist that the “black substance” found in the stomach of the deceased was not subjected to toxicological examination. The allegation was that the deceased was forced to drink a poisonous substance.

“The Acting Director of Public Prosecution of Lagos State at the material time had recommended that some staff and students be prosecuted for criminal negligence over the bullying of students in the school. Four days later, the Acting DPP turned round to say that there was no case to answer without any fresh evidence from the police investigators. The coroner ruled that the Acting DPP has the power to withdraw her recommendations at any time!

“The doctors who testified stated that the deceased died of sepsis and that the sepsis could have been caused by excessive massaging of the leg of the deceased. The coroner conveniently overlooked the fact that the school doctor and the nurses massaged the leg of the deceased for two days before inviting his parents to take him home.

“In an attempt to exonerate Dowen College the coroner was silent on the overwhelming evidence of the bullying of the deceased, his sister, and other students by the same set of students. In particular, the coroner discountenanced the evidence of a student who had testified that he saw the deceased beaten up and subjected to torture by a group of senior students.

“In spite of such uncontradicted evidence, the coroner said that the deceased died of natural cause. The coroner claimed that the negligence of the family doctor led to the death of the deceased but failed to refer him to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for appropriate sanctions.”

In a judgment that lasted over 6 hours, the coroner said the deceased died a natural death while also holding that the death was however avoidable as the negligence of the parents and the medical team also contributed to it.

Magistrate Kadiri absolved some students of Dowen College named in the incident as he concluded that they played no part in the death of Sylvester, and should not have been involved in the matter.

…Says Nigeria Faces Existential Crises

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 2023 general election in Nigeria, Peter Obi, has said that Nigeria’s problems are far bigger than the crises that his party is presently experiencing.

He made the remarks during an appearance on HaveYourSay247, an interactive online session with Nigerians.

The former Anambra State governor told the host Rudolf Okonkwo that though he doesn’t have control over the Labour Party, he is confident that the crises rocking it will soon be resolved amicably. “Whatever is happening in the Labour Party is so minute compared to what is happening in the country.

“So, for me, it is something we will resolve amicably, and it is not anything to worry about. Let’s worry about the country and how the average Nigeria would be able to have a means of livelihood to feed themselves,” he said.

During the session, the former governor of Anambra State also spoke extensively on sundry issues. Commenting on insinuations that he does not use his influence as the leader of the Labour Party to ensure the party conducts itself orderly, Mr Obi said that he has no interest in being the party’s leader but only to make sure things are done properly. “We have a more desperate situation to make the party function properly.

Parties are just a means of contesting elections, and being the leader of a party does not reduce the price of food. What I want to see is that the average Nigerian lives in a society where they have access to education, access to healthcare, and a means of livelihood,” Obi said.

He also reiterated that he has moved on with the Supreme Court’s final decision on the presidential election, even though he does not agree with it.

On the need for the Labour Party to make accounts of campaign funds available to the public, Obi said that he could only encourage everyone who received funds to account for them.

“The party account is not under my control,” he explained. “We have appointed an external auditor to look into it, and anytime they come up with their results, we will make it public. Monies were received by different groups, and I have said that people who received money should account for it. You have seen one of the campaign accounts managed by Aisha Yesufu, which she has made public. We have asked everyone at all levels who collected campaign funds to account for it. It is necessary.”

The presidential candidate further said that he is going to the places where people think they made donations to say thank you. “If I received their donation, I would let them know, and if I didn’t, I would also let them know so they will know who they gave it to and ask questions.”

Responding to a question on whether he would be willing to tell Nigerians about his assets, the former governor said he couldn’t talk about his assets because he was not in power. “It is not necessary for me to say my assets, but what I can tell Nigerians is that I am not a poor man, and nobody can accuse me of stealing government money,” he said.