DOWEN: Buruji Kashamu's Family Deny Claims That Their Son Is Involve In Sylvester's Death

“Our son, Michael Kashamu, had acted as a school father for the late Sylvester in his first session in the school,” they said. “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.

“Adewale Michael Kashamu had seen Sylvester limping sometime late in November and (assuming he might have been injured playing football) merely empathised 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 also 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 cyberbullying of our family will not help in any way to solve the bullying in schools that society through the ages has desired to stop.

”The larger society should start by setting a higher standard.

“We reckon that the bereaved family has related the account of the incident as narrated by the deceased.

“On our part, we have continued to engage our son, Adewale Michael Kashamu, and he has continued to maintain his innocence.

“Now that the Lagos State Government and the police have waded into the matter, we shall fully cooperate with them so that the truth will be established and the course of justice served – justice for the deceased and his family, justice for the accused students and their families and justice for society.

“At this juncture, we want to encourage the management, parents and pupils of Dowen College (and indeed anyone) who may have useful information about this incident to please volunteer same to the police and the Lagos State Government – in the interest of justice.”