The managing director of Lekki Gardens, Robert Nyong, and a contractor that handled the collapsed structure, Mr. Taiwo Odofin, were on Thursday, admitted to bail by an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Afolashade Botoku.

Managing Director of Lekki Garden Homes, was admitted to bail on self-recognizance while the contractor, Mr. Odofin was admitted to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties, by the court.

Chief magistrate Botoku also ordered that the both Nyong and the contractor should be reporting at the State Criminal Investigation and intelligence Department, SCIID, Panti-Yaba, between the hours of 10 a.m., and 5 p.m., everyday till the police complete their investigations.

She also ordered the two defendants should submit their international passports and are not permitted to travel out of the country till the matter is concluded.

It would be recalled that the Chief Magistrate Botoku had on March 11, ordered the remand of the managing director of Lekki Garden Homes Robert Nyong and Taiwo Odofin, one of the contractors handling the project, on their first arraignment following a remand application brought before it by the police.

Nyong is the owner of the five-storey building that collapsed in Lekki area of the state killing 35 people.

The police had urged the court to remand the two defendants pending when it will conclude its investigation on the incident.

When the matter came up on March 23, for the hear their bail application, the police had failed to produce the accused and Botoku had frowned at the disobedient attitude of police.

At the resumed hearing of ye matter, Chief Magistrate Botoku, who stood down the matter for ian hour, ordered the policemen to produce the accused before their bail applications could be heard.

The prosecution led by Barrister Goddey Osuyi, from the Police Legal Department, informed the court that the police failed to produce the two accused on Wednesday, due to an intelligence report that that some hoodlums had planned to attack the court.

Osuyi had said that in the interest of safety, it was not advisable for the police to bring the accused to court.

Lawyers to the two defendants, Olabode Olanipekun and Mr. Uwangboje told the court that the prosecutor had informed them earlier before the court sitting and urged the court to apply its judicial discretion in entertaining the excuse.

Botoku in her ruling, disagreed with the police submission, saying that the court will not submit to a threat, which is the duty of police to ensure that adequate security is provided.
She adjourned the matter to March 24, and ordered that the police must ensure the the two accused were present in court.

The court had on March 11, granted an ex-parte application brought before it by the police, seeking to remand the two defendants in its custody pending when it conclude it’s investigation on the incident.

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