Lagos State Government on Monday arraigned the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens Estate Limited, Mr. Richard Nyong, before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere for alleged complicity in the collapse of a building in Lekki area of the State on March 10, 2016. He was arraigned alongside others before Justice Sybil Nwaka.

The company had claimed that only 5 workers died in last year’s collapse of one of its buildings under construction in Lagos, but official figure of the dead was put at 34.

Other defendants are Lekki Gardens’ Executive Director, Mr. Sola Olumofe; the firm’s contractor, Odofin Henry Taiwo; Omolabake Mortune, Omotilewa Oluwatosin Joseph, Lekki Gardens, Get Too Rich Investment Limited and HC Insight Solution Limited. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them. Their legal team including Bode Olanipekun and George Oguntade (SAN) urged the court to allow the defendants to go on the strength of the previous bail granted to them.

However, before their arraignment, Justice Nwaka had ruled on an application contending the suitability of the criminal charges against the defendants on the grounds that there was no seal of the counsel to the prosecution on the information as required.

The Court held that the contention was a simple matter that only required a directive for the prosecution to affix the seal on the charges, and thereafter ordered the prosecution to do so, a directive which the prosecution led by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem immediately complied with.

Justice Nwaka ruled that the defendants except for the second defendant (Olumofe) should continue enjoying their bail conditions, but added that they should deposit their international passports with the court.

For Olumofe, who is an Executive Director of Lekki Gardens, Justice Nwaka granted bail to him in the sum of N100, 000 and two sureties in the like sum.