Tag: Synagogue

Chief Judge of the Federal High Court Justice Ibrahim Auta has reassigned to Justice Ibrahim Buba, a suit by two structural engineers indicted in the six-storey Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) building collapse.

The engineers prayed the court to quash a District Coroner’s verdict, which found them culpable after an inquest.

Justice Buba, last year, adjudicated a suit which sought to stop the inquest.

A Lagos lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, who filed the suit on the church’s behalf,  contended that the inquest had a pre-determined objective since it was constituted by the Lagos State government, whose agents made indicting statements against SCOAN and its founder, T.B. Joshua, prior to the inquest.

But Justice Buba, in a judgment delivered last November 17, held that the Coroner was a fact-finding body rather than a court.

According to him, it was in the public’s interest to know the circumstances surrounding the death of several worshippers in the mishap.

After the Coroner indicted Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun, the duo filed two suits against the Lagos Commissioner of Police, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Attorney-General and the District Coroner, Oyetade Komolafe.

The cases were filed during the court’s annual long vacation and were first heard by Justice Mohammed Idris, who sat during the break.

The government had filed a preliminary objection to the suit while it was before Justice Idris.

The engineers challenged the July 8 verdict on the death of 116 persons in the building collapse.

Ogundeji and Fatiregun were accused of criminal negligence regarding the building’s construction. The Coroner recommended them for criminal prosecution.

Justice Idris adjourned till yesterday for further hearing, but the case instead came up before Justice Buba.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, said COREN had served them with counter-affidavit to the suit.

He, however, said his client’s reply was filed out of time, and that he would pay the required penalty.

“I ask for a very short adjournment or a stand-down to enable us process payment of the penalty,” he said.

However, Justice Buba said he would rather adjourn the case for hearing of all pending applications.

At the last hearing before Justice Idris on August 3, Lagos Solicitor-General  Lawal Pedro said his preliminary objection was filed on behalf of the police, Attorney-General and Komolafe.

The objection is on the grounds that the applicants’ main complaint is not for enforcement of their rights but to challenge the Coroner’s verdict.

Ojo urged the court to protect the engineers, saying the police have been after them since the verdict was delivered.

Justice Buba adjourned till October 19.

South Africa’s ruling  Africa National Congress (ANC) yesterday hailed the stance of the Lagos State government on the Coroner Verdict on the September 12, 2014 Synagogue building collapse in Lagos.

The party particularly expressed appreciation to the state for its assistance to South Africa in the aftermath of the disaster.

Most of the victims of the disaster were South Africans.

The Treasurer General of the party, Dr. Zwelini Mkhize  told Governor Akinwunmi Ambode during a courtesy visit  that the ANC was “very pleased to learn of your decision in terms of the Synagogue disaster.”

“Certainly while we all appreciate the assistance that you made to ensure that all of the victims were repatriated back to South Africa, we would continue to support whatever work is being done on your side”, Mkhize said.

The ANC Treasurer said the crux of the visit was to seek ways to strengthen bi-lateral trade between South Africa and Nigeria.

He said the trade level between both countries was currently on a high, adding that both countries stand to benefit from each other in terms of trade and investments.

Governor Ambode while responding, reiterated his commitment to boosting trade relations with South Africa, describing the visit as “a brotherhood meeting”.

He listed the areas of cooperation to include the strengthening of security towards building a safer Lagos which will not only safeguard existing investments in Lagos, will also attract new businesses into the state.

“We have established Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment, so that we can strengthen bi-lateral relationship. We need more investors to come into Lagos so that we can create employment and grow our GDP. Whatever it is you think we can do to increase investors from South Africa, we are ready to talk. We hope you would also create the same platform for business men from Nigeria who do business in South Africa”, he said.

The Governor also promised to commit to the existing relationship between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ANC saying both have common ideology.

“We have so much to learn from ANC and we have so much to give in terms of the dynamics we (APC) have brought to the political landscape. We believe strongly that we need to do some interparty visitation and relationship”, he said.