Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Friday, struck out applications requesting to stay proceedings in the criminal charges levelled against the registered trustees of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations and four others.
The applications were thrown aside following disclosure of intention by the defendants to withdraw the said application dated February 18.
The 111 count-charges filed against the defendants by Lagos State Government bordered on building without approval and involuntary manslaughter.
The defendants are being prosecuted as a result of the September 12, 2014 collapse of a six-storey building on the premises of the SCOAN in the Ikotun Egbe area of Lagos, which left at least 116 people dead.
The Registered Trustees of SCOAN, Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company, Jandy Trust Limited, Engineer Oladele Ogundeji and Engineer Akinbela Fatiregun are listed as the first to fifth defendants in the charge.
Their arraignment had been stalled owing to their application for stay of proceedings dated February 18, 2016.
The defendants, however, withdrew the application on Friday citing the dismissal of their application for stay of proceedings by the Court of Appeal as the reason for their action.
When the case was called, counsel for the 3rd and 5th defendants, Mrs. Titilola Akinlawon (SAN), brought to the knowledge of court the dismissal of her clients’ application for stay of proceedings by the Court of Appeal.
Stressing that in view of the development, her clients were constrained to withdraw their application for stay of proceedings filed before Justice Lawal-Akapo.
Counsel for the 4th defendant, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, aligned himself with Akinlawon’s submission.
Both lawyers, further told the court that they had filed another application to challenge the competence of the charges filed against their clients.
Responding, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, pointed out that she was not against the defendant’s prayer to withdraw their applications for stay of proceedings.
Alakija further confirmed that she had been served with the defendants’ fresh application seeking to quash the charges.
She, however, she pleaded for more time to respond to the application as she was only served on Thursday.
Consequently, the defendants applications for stay of proceedings were struck out by Justice Lawal-Akapo and adjourned till March 22, 2016 to hear the fresh application.
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