The Lagos State High Court, in Igbosere, on Thursday, dismissed the no-case submissions filed by the defendants in the case of the collapsed Synagogue Church of All Nations’ building, which killed about 116 persons in September 2014.
Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, in his ruling, said the state had established a prima facie case against the defendants to warrant their being called upon to defend themselves.
The judge, therefore, fixed April 27, 2018 for the defendants to open their defence.
The defendants in the case are the Registered Trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations and the two engineers who built the collapsed six-storey building.
The engineers, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun, were charged alongside their companies – Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Limited.
They are facing 110 counts of involuntary manslaughter, while the Registered Trustees of SCOAN are facing one count of building without approval.
The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions said the defendants violated Section 75 of the Urban and Regional Planning Law of Lagos State 2010, as well as Section 222 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
They were arraigned on April 19, 2016 but they pleaded not guilty .
