Admin l Friday, April 27, 2018
LAGOS, Nigeria – A Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere today fixed May 10, 2018 for the Registered Trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, (SCOAN) to explain its role in the collapse of the building which killed 116 people, mainly South Africans on September 12, 2014. Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo fixed the date even as SCOAN Trustee’s first witness, a police officer failed to show up in court.
The church was scheduled to open its defence on a one count charge of building without approval following the dismissal of its no-case submission on March 8, 2016. But counsel to SCOAN, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), told the judge that the witness was unavailable, despite being served a subpoena commanding him to appear in court.
Although prosecution counsel, Dr Jide Martins did not oppose Fagbemi’s application for adjournment, he observed that another witness could have been prepared to testify.
On April 19, 2016, the Lagos State Government arraigned SCOAN Trustees, alongside the two engineers who built the building, Messrs Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun and their companies – Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Limited.
