Skip to main content

Synagogue church turns down request for documents, says witness

Dr Olusegun Oyenuga, a state witness in the ongoing trial of two engineers charged with negligence and manslaughter in the collapsed building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), told an Ikeja High Court on Monday that the church had not responded to requests for necessary documents.

Oyenuga, a civil engineer, made this revelation while being cross-examined by the lead counsel for the Defence, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

“The Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) sent a letter to the Synagogue Church to furnish us with some documents which would aid investigations into collapsed building but we did not receive during our investigations,” he said.

Oyenuga had listed his educational qualifications as an HND in Civil Engineering from the Yaba College of Technology in 1978, a first class B.sc degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Lagos in 1981.

He also has a Master’s degree in Public Health Engineering from the Imperial College, London, obtained in 1984.

He listed his professional qualifications as fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Structural Engineers, a past President of the institute from 2009 to 2011 and a current registered engineer of COREN.

While under cross-examination, Oyenuga told the court that the nine-man investigative committee that visited the site of the building collapse was created by COREN in conjunction with the Nigerian Buildings and Roads Research Institute (NIBRRI).

“The investigative committee consisted of nine people but there was no geophysist in the committee.”

Oyenuga, however, admitted he had no knowledge of who delivered the letter of request from COREN to SCOAN and that did he have an acknowledgement copy of the letter.

Mrs Titi Akinlawon (SAN), a counsel for the Defence, queried Oyenuga’s claim that he received no documents from Synagogue.

“You had alleged in your evidence that you got Exhibits P2 and P3 from the church, in what circumstances did you get those documents?

“I did not get those documents from the church but rather from the office of the Coroner which was set up to investigate the building collapse,” Oyenuga said.

Akinbela Fatiregun and Oladele Ogundeji alongside their companies- Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Ltd, as well as the trustees of Synagogue, are facing a 111-count charge bordering on gross negligence and criminal manslaughter.

The Sept. 12, 2014, guest house collapse led to the death of 116 persons, 85 of who were South Africans.

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo adjourned the case to June 21 for continuation of trial.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more