Chikodil Nwigwe was present at the Military Hospital, Yaba where autopsy was performed on Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, the 12-year-old trainee of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, who was apparently bullied to death.

Nwigwe, who is amongst the 8 medical professionals that saw the autopsy at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, stated the needed protocols were followed in carrying out the autopsy on the deceased.

Insisting on transparency, the medical practitioner told Arise television that the findings can be reproducible and required to any other location in the entire world.

She said, “Due procedure was followed. All the required procedures, approaches, lab tests, radiological testing, were carried out. We had about 8 pathologists there, at the Lagos State University healthcare facility morgue where the 2nd Autopsy was performed. As you know, there was an autopsy that had actually been done prior to someplace prior to his body was given LASUTH where all of us came together and did the autopsy.

“The autopsy was tape-recorded from start to finish. Photographs were taken, not by one, by numerous. Whatever you have actually recorded can be substantiated with video and picture evidence.

“This can be reproducible, can be taken anywhere by other pathologists, whether in this clime or outside this climate can in fact go through the findings, the picture, video proof. The laboratory test results are all offered, the toxicology results are all available and it says, “no toxin, no toxin” since that was what was being queried.

“Microbiological analysis were done, we proved yes, he had bacterial infection and this was sepsis. There was no bias in the process.”

When asked if there were possibilities that there could have been scams which she was not aware of, the pathologist refuted this strongly, stating that there was no other way such could happen.

She declared she was taking photographs and even when there was a little electrical fault, she continued taking images in the dark.

“Nothing would take place behind me because we were there for hours. We were there standing from about 4:30 till about 9pm. Nobody left, we were all standing throughout the autopsy. Even when the lights blinked, I was standing there, we were all there. I was taking photos even in the dark.”

Last year, the family of the deceased shared a video demonstrating how Sylvester was wriggling in discomfort while bleeding from his mouth.

His lips appeared inflamed and his teeth looked broken.

On whether there were underlying illness that might be accountable for this disfiguration, the doctor said, “Natural death suggests there was no suspicion of murder or murder. It indicates illness, illness is natural.

“It does not mean that he was alright and after that died, no. It simply meant that he passed away of an illness, not that there was an issue or somebody who triggered it. Were there individuals who caused it? Was there something that was offered? Existed something that caused the symptoms and signs that finally caused the problems that finally resulted in the death?

“Pain signifies many diseases from headache. That someone is screaming of discomfort, it shows that there is an underlying problem, it may be moderate, severe or moderate.

“If the mom kept massaging the legs, we are not shocked due to the fact that there were findings in the leg even throughout autopsy so we are not amazed. Even the massage wouldn’t have actually done anything good however worsened the situation from what we saw.

“Sylvester was in shock but that shock was due to sepsis. We will call that septic shock. When we did the autopsy, we saw that he had a contusion at the right ankle area, we took pictures and opened it up. We saw a pus-like collection of liquid coming out. We took specimen from there and sent to the microbiology laboratory to evaluate what kind of organism was there. We took samples from the muscles.

“On opening too, we saw that the lungs were extremely infected, they weren’t reddish but whitish, when we took samples, we suspected however we took the samples to the lab to validate our suspicion. The kidneys too, we took samples, then from the liver, brain, stomach, why the stomach, the stomach had indications of discolouration and mild disintegration, we took samples since it could be anything.

“When we took these samples to the laboratory for histology– research study of tissues, we confirmed that he had Lobar pneumonia, bilateral, that is both lungs and then he had inflammation of the kidney, liver, then he had inflammation of the stomach bed. On that right ankle where he had inflammation of the muscles.

“Sylvester died of septicemic shock and this shock was what ceded the other organs. The pneumonia is bacterial since we took the specimen to the lab and confirmed it was bacterial pneumonia.

“For factors best understood to me, I never ever knew I was going to be associated with this case, all those videos, I never ever saw them till now. I might not understand the level of what you saw. As a pathologist, it is what we saw on the table that we report, we got rid of predisposition, associations, dispositions, or beliefs. You report what you saw on the table regardless of what a clinician, cosmetic surgeon, relation has actually told you. Even if the individual was the one who paid you for the job, if the person is wrong, he’s incorrect, if he’s right, he is.

“Its on conscience that pathologists do their work, they stated they saw bruises however keep in mind that the first pathologist was invited by the cops and we were there, we asked to show us what he saw … I can inform you that where we in fact saw swellings, yes the mouth had bruises, the head had some shallow cuts and contusions however I wish to state something. There can be numerous reasons for that blister, it could be a fever blister, it might be an impact or what we call haemorrhagic rash you see that in sepsis …”

ToriNG