The Registered trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) have withdrawn their applications seeking to stay proceedings of the charges preferred against them by the Lagos State government.
This was sequel to the ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos which dismissed their appeal to stay their trial before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of a Lagos High court, Ikeja.
The Lagos state government had filed 110 count charge bordering on involuntary manslaughter against the Registered Trustees of the Church and two of its engineers over the September 12, 2014 collapse of its six storey guest house.
At the resumed sitting of the court, counsels to 3rd and 5th defendants, Mrs. Titilola Akinlawon and that f the fourth defendant, Olalekan Ojo said in view of the ruling of the Court of Appeal, they were constrained to withdraw their application for stay of proceedings dated February 18, 2015.
The however informed the court of another application seeking to quash the charges preferred against them by the state dated March 3, 2015.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Idowu Alakija, in her response, informed the court that they were served on Thursday.
Alakija said they would need time to respond to the application pointing out that they would not oppose the defendants' request to withdraw their application for stay of proceedings.
Consequently, the trial judge, Justice Lawal-Akapo struck out the application and adjourned to March 22, 2016.
The Registered Trustees, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company, Jadny Trust Limited, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbele Fatiregun are 1st to 5th defendants in the suit. The court had earlier fixed February 8 for the arraignment of the defendants but this was stalled with an application challenging the manner which the court summons was served on the defence.
Ruling on the matter then, Justice Lawal-Akapo had agreed with the submissions of the counsels to the defendants when he held that the applications should be taken first before arraignment.
He said, "In view of the decisions of the Appellate Court in Awene v State which states that all interlocutory applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court should be heard first before an arraignment.
This was sequel to the ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos which dismissed their appeal to stay their trial before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of a Lagos High court, Ikeja.
The Lagos state government had filed 110 count charge bordering on involuntary manslaughter against the Registered Trustees of the Church and two of its engineers over the September 12, 2014 collapse of its six storey guest house.
At the resumed sitting of the court, counsels to 3rd and 5th defendants, Mrs. Titilola Akinlawon and that f the fourth defendant, Olalekan Ojo said in view of the ruling of the Court of Appeal, they were constrained to withdraw their application for stay of proceedings dated February 18, 2015.
The however informed the court of another application seeking to quash the charges preferred against them by the state dated March 3, 2015.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Idowu Alakija, in her response, informed the court that they were served on Thursday.
Alakija said they would need time to respond to the application pointing out that they would not oppose the defendants' request to withdraw their application for stay of proceedings.
Consequently, the trial judge, Justice Lawal-Akapo struck out the application and adjourned to March 22, 2016.
The Registered Trustees, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company, Jadny Trust Limited, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbele Fatiregun are 1st to 5th defendants in the suit. The court had earlier fixed February 8 for the arraignment of the defendants but this was stalled with an application challenging the manner which the court summons was served on the defence.
Ruling on the matter then, Justice Lawal-Akapo had agreed with the submissions of the counsels to the defendants when he held that the applications should be taken first before arraignment.
He said, "In view of the decisions of the Appellate Court in Awene v State which states that all interlocutory applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court should be heard first before an arraignment.
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