The Registered Trustees of the Synagogue
Church Of All Nations, founded by Prophet TB
Joshua, have filed another suit to stop the
Lagos State Government from going ahead
with their prosecution before the Lagos High
Court in Ikeja over the death of 116 persons
on September 12, 2014 when a six-storey
building collapsed on the premises of the
church in Ikotun area of the State.
In the fresh suit filed before Justice Kazeem
Alogba of Ikeja High Court, the Trustees o
f the church are asking the court to stop their
proposed arraignment before Justice Lawal
Lateef-Akapo of the same court.
The Lagos State Government had had filed
111 counts against the Registered Trustees of
SCOAN, two engineers and two companies
over the death of the 116 persons.
The arraignment of the accused had been
scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2016
before Justice Lawal-Akapo.
But in their fresh action, the applicants are
urging Justice Alogba to call for the record of
proceedings of a Lagos State Coroner Court,
presided by Mr. Oyetade Komolafe, which
indicted them and recommended them for
criminal prosecutions.
Komolafe, who conducted an inquest into the
death of the 116 victims of the SCOAN’s
building collapse, had on July 8, 2015 decided
that the building which killed them was built
without approval, adding that its collapse was
due to structural defect.
But SCOAN and its engineers - Messrs
Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun, had
rejected the verdict, describing it as
unreasonable and one-sided.
In September 2015, Justice Ibrahim Buba of
the Federal High Court in Lagos had
dismissed two similar actions filed by the
engineers to squash the coroner’s verdict and
prevent their arraignment.
In their fresh suit before Justice Alogba, they
are seeking a judicial review of the Coroner’s
proceedings, for the purpose of quashing it.
They are also seeking an order of perpetual
injunction restraining the Attorney General of
Lagos State, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, or any
officer under his authority from taking any
step to enforce the recommendations of the
Coroner, including their prosecution.
When the matter came up on Monday before
Justice Alogba, the case could not go on as
Magistrate Komolafe was absent in court and
was not represented by any lawyer.
But a lawyer who represented the Attorney
General, Barr. A. O Idowu however pleaded
with the court for time to file a response to
the suit, while Justice Alogba adjourned till
February 4, 2016 for hearing.
Meanwhile, the State Government has vowed
to challenge the fresh suit, as government
was desirous of pursuing the issues relating
to the matter to a logical conclusion.
SIGNED
BOLA AKINGBADE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
JANUARY 18, 2016
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