Court fixes Feb 18 to arraign Synagogue Trustees and engineers

An Ikeja High Court on Monday dismissed the two separate applications filed by the two engineers, who constructed the collapsed six-storey guest house owned by the Synagogue Church of All Nation (SCOAN) on September 12, 2014, seeking to stop their prosecution.

The engineers, Messrs Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun and their companies, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company; and Jandy Trust Limited, had challenged the verdict of the coroner court that found them culpable of the September 12, 2014 incident which led to the death of 116 persons. Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo in his ruling held that their applications lacked merits, he subsequently fixed February 18, 2016, for the arraignment of the Trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nation (SCOAN) and the engineers.

The Lagos State Government in 2015 slammed a 111-count criminal charges against Trustees of the church, their two engineers and their companies. The engineers (4th and 5th defendants) in the case had challenged the legality of the court processes effected on them by the Lagos State government.

 Ruling on the applications, Justice Lawal-Akapo said the essence and importance of service to judicial system in criminal matter cannot be over-emphasised. He said the purpose of service is to afford the person being charged to court to react, adding that there is provision for substituted service in the law of the country.