Synagogue: Engineers urge court to dismiss Lagos case

•File photo of the collpased building

Two structural engineers indicted in the six-storey Synagogue Church of All Nations building collapse have urged the Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss a preliminary objection to their suit by Lagos State Government.

The engineers – Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun are praying the court to quash a District Coroner's verdict which found them culpable after an inquest.

They filed separate suits against the Lagos Commissioner of Police, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the state Attorney-General and the District Coroner.

The engineers' lawyer, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, on Monday said the coroner's verdict could not be a basis for arresting, investigating or prosecuting his clients.

Arguing Ogudeji's reply to the objection, he said: "The fulcrum of the applicant's case is that he was not charged with any offence before the coroner. He merely appeared as a witness and the coroner went on to indict him of criminal negligence and it is a nullity.

"As far as this case is concerned, there is nothing against him, then what are the police acting upon? The applicant is saying that his indictment by the coroner court is a nullity and being a nullity the first to third defendants cannot on the basis of a nullity arrest, detain or charge the applicant to court.

"We are here so that they don't use their powers to oppress us," Ojo said.

However, the respondents, represented by Mr. A.A. Bakare, said the engineers' case was not fundamental rights enforcement action but was designed to stop government agencies from performing their statutory duties.

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