A High Court sitting in Lagos has faulted the verdict of the coroner which recommended the prosecution of the contractor and engineer that handled the building of the collapsed Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).
It would be recalled that in 2014, a building belonging to the popular church, presided over by Prophet T.B Joshua, collapsed- resulting in the death of several individuals including foreign visitors to the church.
Following a Lagos state inquiry into the collapse and the subsequent recommendation of a coroner that the contractor and engineer of the building, Akinbola Fatiregun of Hardrock Construction and engineer Oladele Ogundeji, be prosecuted, the lawyers to Registered Trustees of The Synagogue Church of All Nations, had filed an application for a judicial review.
However, Justice K.O Alogba in delivering his judgement, ruled that the the coroner doesn’t have the constitutional power to recommend the prosecution of the contractors.
Justice Alogba had also rejected the petition of the Lagos State Government to strike out the defense council’s application for judicial review. The judge stated that the application would stand as it was filled within the three month period mandated by court.
The presiding judge also faulted the coroner’s ruling that the building collapse was due to structural failure, saying that it was only a civil court that can make such findings based on evidence provided.
Hence, quashing the recommendation of the coroner that the contractors should be prosecuted.
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