The Lagos State Government on Thursday closed its case in the
ongoing trial of two engineers of the collapsed six-storey guest
house of the Synagogue Church of All Nations and the trustees of
the church.
Ms P.K. Shitta-Bey, the Lagos State Director of Public
Prosecution (DPP) told an Ikeja High Court that the defence team
had finished the cross-examination of the eight witnesses in the
case.
“We will like to inform the court that this is the end of the
prosecution’s case,” Shitta-Bey told the court after the defence
team finished cross-examining the eight and last prosecution
witness in a long court session that lasted from 10.41 a.m. to 4.36
p.m.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two engineers
— Akinbela Fatiregun and Oladele Ogundeji — are facing trial
alongside their companies — Hardrock Construction and Engineering
Company, Jandy Trust Ltd and the trustees of the church.
They are facing a 111-count charge of gross negligence and
criminal manslaughter over the collapse of a six-storey guest house
to which they plead not guilty.
The Sept. 12, 2014 building collapse led to the death of 116
persons, 85 of who were South Africans.
Earlier during proceedings, Mr Linus Gubbi, an investigator with
the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC), Abuja, told the court that Synagogue Church had
procured a false prototype of collapsed guest house.
Gubbi, an Assistant Chief Superintendent of Investigations, has
worked with the Special Duties Department of the ICPC for 14
years.
The investigator had said the ICPC had received a petition
forwarded to them by the Council for Regulation of Engineering in
Nigeria (COREN).
The petition alleged that one Mr George Akinfenwa had illegally
used the COREN registration no. R8718 and seal belonging to an
engineer, Mr Omotayo Shogo, to create the false prototype.
He said the church had allegedly connived with the fourth
defendant (Oladele Ogundeji) to create a false prototype of the
guest house after its collapse to present to the Lagos State
Government at the Coroner’s Inquest as the original prototype.
While being led in evidence by Shitta-Bey, he said:“One Mr
George Akinfenwa and one Mr George who are both at large, met with
Ogundeji to come up with a prototype of the collapsed building.
“Their meeting was held at Ade Super Hotel in Akure, Ondo
State.
“The three men came to Lagos and had a meeting with one Mr
Ikechi, who is the secretary of T.B Joshua, where they discussed
the modalities of coming up with a prototype.
“It was agreed that Akinfenwa would be paid N5 million and
Ogundeji who would head the team at the Coroner’s court established
by Lagos State Government to investigate the collapse, would be
paid N25 million.”
Gubbi told the court that fake COREN stamps and seals attributed
to Shogo were used to authenticate the prototype of the
building.
“Akinfenwa, George and Ogundeji came up with the prototype
design of the Synagogue Church modeled after the collapsed
building.
“We found out that the stamp and seal used by Akinfenwa was
procured at Area 11, Garki, Abuja, and it actually belongs to
Engineer Omotayo Shogo, who is a mechanical engineer and not a
structural engineer.”
Gubbi said that Akinfenwa and Ajala are currently on the run and
efforts by the Department of State Security (DSS) and the police to
apprehend them were unsuccessful.
The investigator after his testimony was cross-examined by the
four lawyers to the defendants.
While answering questions from Mr Oluseye Diyan, counsel to the
trustees of SCOAN, Gubbi told the court that he could not recollect
the number of persons he interviewed during his investigations.
He admitted not finishing his final report of his investigation
due to the fact that two suspects (Akinfenwa and Ajala) are
currently at large.
Responding to questions from Chief Efe Akpofure (SAN),
representing Hardrock Construction Company Ltd, the investigator
admitted not meeting Mr Ikechi, the Secretary to Prophet T.B Joshua
in person while investigating the case.
He noted that he never visited the premises of SCOAN neither did
he investigate the source of the N5 million and N25 million
allegedly given to Akinfenwa and Ogundeji by the church.
While being cross-examined by Mrs Titi Akinlawon, counsel to
Fatiregun, a document which was allegedly the original prototype of
the SCOAN building was shown to him which he did not recognise.
Akinlawon told the investigator that the document was the
prototype design of the guest house used by the church before the
building collapsed.
While fielding questions from Mr Olalekan Ojo, counsel to
Ogundeji and Jandy Trust Ltd, Gubbi told the court that during
investigations he went to Area 11 of Garki, Abuja, where the seal
and stamps of the false prototype were allegedly forged but could
not locate the printer who was involved in the forgery.
Gubbi also added that the results of his investigation were
sourced mainly from the statements and interviews of the suspects
as well as an analysis of the evidence he had gathered.
Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo adjourned the case until Oct. 5, Oct.
6, Oct. 19, Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 for opening of defence. (NAN)
The Lagos State Government on Thursday closed its case in the
ongoing trial of two engineers of the collapsed six-storey guest
house of the Synagogue Church of All Nations and the trustees of
the church.
Ms P.K. Shitta-Bey, the Lagos State Director of Public
Prosecution (DPP) told an Ikeja High Court that the defence team
had finished the cross-examination of the eight witnesses in the
case.
“We will like to inform the court that this is the end of the
prosecution’s case,” Shitta-Bey told the court after the defence
team finished cross-examining the eight and last prosecution
witness in a long court session that lasted from 10.41 a.m. to 4.36
p.m.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two engineers
— Akinbela Fatiregun and Oladele Ogundeji — are facing trial
alongside their companies — Hardrock Construction and Engineering
Company, Jandy Trust Ltd and the trustees of the church.
They are facing a 111-count charge of gross negligence and
criminal manslaughter over the collapse of a six-storey guest house
to which they plead not guilty.
The Sept. 12, 2014 building collapse led to the death of 116
persons, 85 of who were South Africans.
Earlier during proceedings, Mr Linus Gubbi, an investigator with
the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC), Abuja, told the court that Synagogue Church had
procured a false prototype of collapsed guest house.
Gubbi, an Assistant Chief Superintendent of Investigations, has
worked with the Special Duties Department of the ICPC for 14
years.
The investigator had said the ICPC had received a petition
forwarded to them by the Council for Regulation of Engineering in
Nigeria (COREN).
The petition alleged that one Mr George Akinfenwa had illegally
used the COREN registration no. R8718 and seal belonging to an
engineer, Mr Omotayo Shogo, to create the false prototype.
He said the church had allegedly connived with the fourth
defendant (Oladele Ogundeji) to create a false prototype of the
guest house after its collapse to present to the Lagos State
Government at the Coroner’s Inquest as the original prototype.
While being led in evidence by Shitta-Bey, he said:“One Mr
George Akinfenwa and one Mr George who are both at large, met with
Ogundeji to come up with a prototype of the collapsed building.
“Their meeting was held at Ade Super Hotel in Akure, Ondo
State.
“The three men came to Lagos and had a meeting with one Mr
Ikechi, who is the secretary of T.B Joshua, where they discussed
the modalities of coming up with a prototype.
“It was agreed that Akinfenwa would be paid N5 million and
Ogundeji who would head the team at the Coroner’s court established
by Lagos State Government to investigate the collapse, would be
paid N25 million.”
Gubbi told the court that fake COREN stamps and seals attributed
to Shogo were used to authenticate the prototype of the
building.
“Akinfenwa, George and Ogundeji came up with the prototype
design of the Synagogue Church modeled after the collapsed
building.
“We found out that the stamp and seal used by Akinfenwa was
procured at Area 11, Garki, Abuja, and it actually belongs to
Engineer Omotayo Shogo, who is a mechanical engineer and not a
structural engineer.”
Gubbi said that Akinfenwa and Ajala are currently on the run and
efforts by the Department of State Security (DSS) and the police to
apprehend them were unsuccessful.
The investigator after his testimony was cross-examined by the
four lawyers to the defendants.
While answering questions from Mr Oluseye Diyan, counsel to the
trustees of SCOAN, Gubbi told the court that he could not recollect
the number of persons he interviewed during his investigations.
He admitted not finishing his final report of his investigation
due to the fact that two suspects (Akinfenwa and Ajala) are
currently at large.
Responding to questions from Chief Efe Akpofure (SAN),
representing Hardrock Construction Company Ltd, the investigator
admitted not meeting Mr Ikechi, the Secretary to Prophet T.B Joshua
in person while investigating the case.
He noted that he never visited the premises of SCOAN neither did
he investigate the source of the N5 million and N25 million
allegedly given to Akinfenwa and Ogundeji by the church.
While being cross-examined by Mrs Titi Akinlawon, counsel to
Fatiregun, a document which was allegedly the original prototype of
the SCOAN building was shown to him which he did not recognise.
Akinlawon told the investigator that the document was the
prototype design of the guest house used by the church before the
building collapsed.
While fielding questions from Mr Olalekan Ojo, counsel to
Ogundeji and Jandy Trust Ltd, Gubbi told the court that during
investigations he went to Area 11 of Garki, Abuja, where the seal
and stamps of the false prototype were allegedly forged but could
not locate the printer who was involved in the forgery.
Gubbi also added that the results of his investigation were
sourced mainly from the statements and interviews of the suspects
as well as an analysis of the evidence he had gathered.
Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo adjourned the case until Oct. 5, Oct.
6, Oct. 19, Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 for opening of defence. (NAN)