Skip to main content

Court strikes out Lekki Gardens MD’s motion for bail variation

Managing Director of Lekki Gardens, Mr. Richard Nyong (right) and Contractor, Odofin Taiwo Henry (left) with one of the defense lawyers, Mr. Gboyega Okenla during their appearance at the Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate Court in connection with the Lekki Garden building collapse, on Monday.

An Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate Court on Monday struck out a motion filed by the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens, Mr. Richard Nyong seeking a variation of the earlier bail conditions ordered by the court following his arrest in connection with the collapse of a five-storey building under construction on Kushenla Road, Ikate Elegushi area of Lagos State which killed no fewer than 35 persons.

The State Government had dragged Nyong and one of the contractors handling the project, Odofin Taiwo Henry to court, after which they were admitted to bail on some conditions, including the deposit of their international passports.

Nyong had filed the motion for variation asking that his passport be released to him to facilitate a trip abroad for medical healthcare.

But at the resumption of the matter on Monday, Nyong’s lawyer, Mr. Bode Olanipekun applied to withdraw the motion, saying that the issue had been overtaken by events, and that as such, it was no longer necessary to forge ahead with it.

The application was not opposed by other parties, while the trial Magistrate, Mr. T.A Ellias struck it out.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Mr. Goddy Osuyi drew the court’s attention to the Legal Advice issued by the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) of Lagos State Ministry of Justice on the case.

Osuyi, a Legal Officer attached to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, said the case file was forwarded to the DPP by the police for Legal Advice, and that the DPP had since concluded work on the file.

He, however, urged the court to allow the Legal Advice to be read to Nyong and Odofin

But Olanipekun and Odofin’s lawyer, Mr. Gboyega Okenla opposed the application of Osuyi, saying that same was not supported by any practice or legal authority.

“Our clients are aware of the contents of the DPP Legal Advice and I am aware that the issue of involuntary manslaughter in the report is outside the purview of the jurisdiction of this court.

“So, I think it is better for us to wait for the next action to be taken by the Attorney General of the State whether he will or not file a criminal charge in the matter,” Olanipekun said.

After considering the arguments by the parties, Magistrate Ellias adjourned the matter to February 23, 2017 to await the decision of the Attorney General.

-Kazeem Ugbodaga

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

Man docked for defiling 9-year-old girl

magistrate-court A 33-year-old man, Godwin Otobo, was on Monday docked at a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.For allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl, ‎Otobo, who lives at No. 10, Borrow Pit St., Sangotedo-Ajah area of Lagos, was said to have defiled the underage girl whose parents also reside in the same compound. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande, told the court that the accused committed the offence at about 9.00 p.m. sometimes in September. “The accused defiled the girl in the night when she was fetching water.‎ “The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011,’’ Osayande told the court. The accused pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of defilement. Ruling on a bail application filed by the accused, Chief Magistrate Ipaye Nwachukwu, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum. She said one of the sureties must be a property owner in Lagos State, while the other must be a civil servant on grade...
Post a Comment
Read more