SCOAN: Engineers sent back to prison

The two engineers involved in the construction of the collapsed guest house at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), which claimed over 116 lives – many of whom were foreigners – were, on Tuesday, sent back to Kirikiri Maximum Prison, following the inability of an Ikeja High Court to deliver rulings on their bail applications.

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo adjourned rulings on their bail applications till May 3, 2016.

The engineers, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun, were, last week, remanded in prison pending the hearing of their applications for bail, which held yesterday.

However, their hope of regaining freedom was dashed as the court adjourned ruling.

Counsel to Fatiregun, Titi Akinlawon (SAN) in an application dated April 19, 2016, argued that the “offences committed by the defendant is a bailable offence, pursuant to Section 115 of Section 2 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law.

“He has been charged before for the same offences at a magistrate court and did not jump bail. So, if granted bail now, he will also not jump bail,” she argued.

Counsel to Ogundeji, Olalekan Ojo, also told the court that “granting him bail will put him (defendant) in best position to prepare for his trial.”

In her response, the prosecution counsel and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Idowu Alakija, urged the court not to grant the defendants bail.

She argued that while the court had the discretion to grant bail or not, “the 4th defendant (Ogundeji) does not have an address within the jurisdiction of the court and, therefore, may jump bail if granted.”

The matter was thereby adjourned till May 3.

The defendants are facing a 111-count charge of gross negligence and criminal manslaughter brought against them by the state.

According to DPP, the defendants committed the offences between August 20 and September 2013.