Weeks after they were granted bail by the court, the contractors that
handled the construction of the collapsed Synagogue, Church Of All
Nations (SCOAN) building, Akinbola Fatiregun and Oladele Ogundeji, were
today, Monday 20 June, 2016 released from the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons
after meeting all their bail conditions.
The two engineers had been remanded in prison pending
trial for alleged manslaughter and criminal negligence, charges
levelled against them by the Lagos State Government.
Following the ruling of the judge that they be remanded in prison
custody, their bail application was filed and subsequently granted,
although meeting its conditions took a while due to their stringent
nature.
Having been released, the engineers are expected to be in court on
Tuesday 21 June, for the continuation of their trial.
Meanwhile, at the resumed trial today, counsel to defendants
cross-examined the witness representing the Nigerian Building and Road
Research Institute (NIBRRI) and the Council Of Registered Engineers in
Nigeria (COREN), Engineer Victor Oyenuga.
Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) pointed out to the witness the fact that there is
no proof of any correspondence between NIBRRI and COREN regarding the
report of the committee said to have been set up by COREN which
suggested structural faults were responsible for the tragic incident.
The implication of the foregoing is that the report could have been the
mischievous creation of some people with a sinister motive to rubbish
the reputation of the engineers who constructed the building.
Olalekan Ojo also made it clear to the court that the Nigerian Institute
of Structural Engineers is not a creation of law and therefore is
inconsequential in determining those qualified to practice Structural
Engineering as a profession.
This was in response to Oyenuga’s insistence that the two engineers that
handled the construction of the guesthouse were not members of this
organisation, attempting to lend credence to his assertion they were
incompetent.
The witness agreed with the declaration of Mr Ojo but insisted that the
Nigerian Institute of Structural Engineering remains an affiliate of
COREN.
Justice Lawal Akapo adjourned proceedings to Tuesday 21 June, 2016 for
continuation of trial.
Nosa Osazuwa, a writer from Lagos, was present during the court hearing