BEVERLY HILLS, July 03, (THEWILL) – Five persons, including the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens Estate Limited,zobo Richard Nyong, allegedly involved in the March 2016 Lekki building collapse which killed five persons have been arraigned before a Lagos High Court, sitting in the Igbosere area.
They were arraigned on Monday following Justice Sybil Nwaka’s dismissal of an application challenging the competence of the charges filed against them.
The other defendants are Shola Olumofe, the engineer that supervised the collapsed structure, Henry Taiwo Odofin, Omolabake Mortune and Omotilewa Oluwatosin Joseph.
Three companies: Lekki Gardens Estate Ltd, Get Too Rich Investment Limited a.k.a. GT Rich Investment Limited and HT Insight Solution Limited were also arraigned.
The defendants were brought before Justice Nwaka last May 24, but the charge against them could not be read following an application challenging the court’s jurisdiction which stalled their arraignment.
At the resumption of proceedings today, Justice Nwaka dismissed an application by second defendant Shola Olumofe challenging the competence of the charge.
This cleared the way for the charge to be read to the defendants which includes failure to obtain a building permit and five counts of involuntary manslaughter.
According to the charge, the alleged offences contravene Section 75(1) of the Urban & Regional Planning Development Law of Lagos State, 2015 and Section 224 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendants pleaded not guilty.
Justice Nwaka allowed the defendants except the second defendant, Shola Olumofe, to continue enjoying the bail earlier granted them and ordered all defendants to deposit their passports in the court’s possession within 24 hours.
The judge admitted Olumofe to bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in the like sum and ordered that he be remanded in prison custody till he perfects his bail condition and adjourned till October 26 for trial.
THEWILL recalls that on March 10, 2016, a six-storey building under construction by Lekki Gardens in Lekki area of the state collapsed and killed several people.
It was alleged that the developer added additional floors to the building against what was approved by the government for construction.
