– Lagos state police requested permission from the court to keep Richard Nyong and Odofin Taiwo Henry
– Magistrate Folashade Botoku remanded the defendants to 30 days in police custody
– Nyong and Odofin were brought to court at about 1.pm in a black Range Rover sports utility vehicle
Managing Director Of Lekki Gardens, Richard Nyong and the Contractor, Taiwo Odofin (left) arriving at the court.
Magistrate Folashade Botoku of Ebute-Metta chief magistrate court, on March 11 remanded Richard Nyong, the managing director of Lekki Gardens, and one of the contractors handling the five-storey building that collapsed, Odofin Taiwo Henry in police custody at Panti, to be kept for the next 30 days.
READ ALSO: Lagos state government halts Lekki gardens’ construction
Managing Director Of Lekki Gardens, Richard Nyong and the Contractor, Taiwo Odofin at the court.
This was contained in a statement issued on March 11 by Bola OLA Akingbade, deputy director, public affaires office ministry of justice, a copy obtained by Naij.com.
The court’s order followed the request made by the Lagos state police command seeking to keep the Nyong in custody pending the conclusion of on-going investigation into the collapse building under construction on Kushenla Road, Ikate Elegushi area of the state which killed no fewer than 35 persons.
Richard Nyong and Taiwo Odofin shunned journalists
Magistrate Botoku, who granted the remand order, held that the order was in the interest of justice and public safety.
Nyong and Odofin were brought to court at about 1.pm in a black Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle with registration number (Abuja) KWL 682 CN. The 34-year-old Nyong was arrested on March 10, while Odofin was arrested on March 9.
When the case was called, police prosecutor, Godwin Osuji told the magistrate about an ex-parte application seeking to remand the accused beyond the constitutionally prescribed period, saying the application was brought in the interest of justice, public safety, public order and morality.
Managing Director Of Lekki Gardens, Richard Nyong and the Contractor, Taiwo Odofin stepping into the court room.
The persecutor explained that based on the circumstances of the case, it would be impossible for the police to conclude the investigation within two days, hence the need for the application.
Osuji said as at Thursday, 24 bodies were recovered from the scene of the incident, while others were still being recovered. He added that some of the relatives of the victims were still making efforts to identify the corpses, while autopsy is yet to be conducted.
Managing Director Of Lekki Gardens, Richard Nyong and the Contractor, Taiwo Odofin at the cxourt premises on Friday, March 11, 2016.
“In view of the circumstances of this matter, it will be impracticable for us to conclude investigation in two days as there are so many agencies involved and so we have come to court in order not to run foul of the law,” he said.
The prosecutor prayed the court to grant the request to keep the accused persons in custody of the police criminal investigation department pending conclusion of investigation.
Responding to the request of the prosecutor, counsel to the defendants, Bode Olanipekun orally applied for his clients bail.
Olanipekun, in the alternative, urged the court to order that the police should release his clients but that they should make themselves available to police when needed.
Managing Director Of Lekki Gardens, Richard Nyong and the Contractor, Taiwo Odofin in the dock at the Ebute Metta Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos, on Friday, March 11, 2016.
However, Osuji, in response, said it was trite law that an application for bail could only be filed after the defendants must have been arraigned on a criminal charge. He said at the moment, the police was yet to file any charge against the defendants and as such the application for bail was not yet ripe.
Magistrate Botoku ruled that under Section 264 (1) of the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2011, she was empowered to order the remand of a defendant as in the instant case, but that the major consideration is the justification of such application.
The magistrate held that having gone through the facts of the case, it was in the interest of justice for the application to be granted, as there was merit in it.
READ ALSO: Nigerians furious over Lekki gardens misfortune
She therefore ordered the defendants to be kept at the Criminal Investigation Department Panti for 30 days at first instance, subject to variation upon further applications. She adjourned the matter to April 12.
The state government had sealed the building, which was originally designed to be a three-storey structure but in a brazen act of defiance and impunity, the owners of the building, Messrs Lekki worldwide estate limited, the promoters of Lekki Gardens, criminally unsealed the property and continued building beyond the approved floors until the unfortunate incident occurred.
The Lagos state police command confirmed on March 11 that Richard Nyong, the managing director and chief executive officer of Lekki Gardens has been arrested.
Nyong was responsible for managing the construction of a five-story building that collapsed last Tuesday in Lekki, killing 34 people while several others were left with various degrees of injuries.
The post Court goes tough on Lekki Gardens MD and contractor, read what it did to them (photos) appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.
Court goes tough on Lekki Gardens MD and contractor, read what it did to them (photos)
0 Comments: