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Hearing on the bail applications filed at an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, by the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens, Mr. Richard Nyong and one of the contractors that supervised the collapsed five- storey building in Lekki, Mr. Taiwo Odofin was stalled yesterday following the inability of the Police to produce them in court.
Consequently, the presiding Magistrate, Folashade Botoku adjourned till today for hearing and ruling on the bail applications.
Nyong and Odofin, who were remanded in police custody by Chief Magistrate Botoku to allow the Police conclude its investigation and file proper charges against them, had through their counsel filed separate bail applications seeking for their release.
To pave way for yesterday’s proceedings, the court had on the last adjourned date ordered the police to produce the applicants from Panti, where they were remanded in court.
But when the matter was called yesterday, the prosecutor, an officer from the Legal Department of the Police, Mr. Goddy Osuyi informed the court of the Police’s inability to produce the applicants in court in accordance to the order of court due to what he linked to an intelligence report that they received that some hoodlums plans to attack the court.
Mr Osuyi emphasised that in the interest of safety, it is not advisable for the police to bring the suspects to court.
He however said that the police had sent officers to protect the court.
But Nyong’s counsel, Olabode Olanipekun and Odofin’s counsel, Mr. Femi Wangbooje, who affirmed that the Police prosecutor had earlier informed them before the sitting urged the court to apply judicial discretion in exercise of her duties.
However in her short ruling on the Magistrate frowned at thee disobedient attitude of policemen from Panti stood down proceeding for one hour to enable them produce the applicants in court.
Guardian