Rosemary Oromoni, the mother of Sylvester Oromoni, the 12-year-old boy whose tragic death in 2021 sparked national outrage, has passed away.

Reports indicate that Mrs. Oromoni died in late November after a prolonged battle with blood pressure-related health issues.

Her death comes just over seven months after a Lagos court’s ruling that dealt a setback to the family’s legal fight.

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Recall that in April 2024, a special Coroner Inquest court in Lagos concluded that Sylvester’s death was the result of negligence by his parents and their doctor.

The court ruled that the boy died from untreated complications of an enlarged liver, rather than from the alleged bullying and chemical ingestion at Dowen College.

Biztellers reports that Sylvester died on November 30, 2021, after claiming he was assaulted by five senior students at Dowen College in Lekki.

He also alleged that he was forced to consume a harmful substance.

However, a Lagos State Government investigation in January 2022 cleared the five students and school staff of any wrongdoing.

Coroner Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri, who presided over the inquest, pointed to the Oromonis’ failure to seek medical help in time.

He stated, “Based on the foregoing it is clear that the deceased’s health deteriorated in (parents) PW 3’s care. PW 3 did not take proper care of the deceased, completely abandoning him for more than 32 hours.”

Kadiri went on to say, “The deceased’s death was an avoidable one but for the negligence of the parents and PW 3. They didn’t take him to the hospital until the day he died on November 30, 2021. The deceased went through an avoidable and excruciating pain and was made to suffer needlessly.”

A prominent lawyer and human rights advocate, James Ibor, has called for an end to the age-old tradition of paying and collecting bride price in Nigeria, describing it as a practice that symbolizes slavery and the domination of women by men.

Speaking at a women’s event in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, Ibor, who serves as the principal counsel at the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, also advocated for married women to retain their family names instead of adopting their husbands’ names.

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The event, themed “Amplifying Women’s Representation in Politics with a Special Focus on the Special Seats Bill,” was organized by the Cross River State Ministry of Women Affairs in partnership with the civil society organization Stand To End Rape.

Ibor emphasized that the payment of bride price perpetuates inequality and denies women their rights.

“Women are not commodities that should be purchased by men. It tells of signs of slavery, denial of women’s rights, and domination by men. Payment of bride price should stop,” he said.

Sharing his personal experience, Ibor revealed, “I insisted against paying bride price to the family of my wife. We merely exchanged gifts. I strongly recommend replacing this odd and slavish practice with the exchange of gifts between the bride and groom’s families.”

He further urged society to respect women’s autonomy, including their right to retain their family names after marriage.

“Women should be at liberty to bear their chosen names. Changing names should not be an obligation but a choice,” he stated.

The lawyer also condemned the practice in parts of Cross River State where women are denied rights to land and property.

He called for systemic reforms to address these inequalities, urging the government and civil society to collaborate in promoting women’s rights.

The event served as a platform to spotlight the critical role of women in politics and to advocate for legislative reforms aimed at increasing their representation and safeguarding their rights.

A bizarre incident has left a local herbalist, Ismail Usman, fighting for his life after a failed attempt to demonstrate the efficacy of a self-made “bulletproof” charm.

The event took place on November 23 in Kuchibuyi village, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Usman, reportedly confident in the protective powers of the charm he had prepared, used a locally fabricated shotgun to shoot himself in the stomach.

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However, the charm proved ineffective, resulting in severe injuries.

FCT Police Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday, detailing the police’s response.

“A distress call from Shandam Michael reported a shocking event involving Ismail Usman, a local herbalist known for his unconventional methods. In a misguided attempt to test the effectiveness of a self-made ‘bulletproof’ charm, Usman shot himself in the stomach with a shotgun,” Adeh stated.

She added, “Unfortunately, the charm failed to protect him, resulting in life-threatening injuries. Officers from the Byazhin Division responded swiftly, arriving at the scene to find Usman in critical condition.

“He was quickly transported to Kubwa General Hospital for emergency treatment and later transferred to Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital for further care.”

The police conducted a search of Usman’s residence following the incident, recovering the shotgun and several charms allegedly used in the failed experiment.

The statement also noted that Usman is likely to face legal consequences.

“Investigations are ongoing, and Usman is expected to face charges for unlawful possession of firearms and attempted suicide under Section 231 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria,” Adeh revealed.

FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, condemned the reckless act, highlighting the inherent dangers of illegal firearms and unverified practices.