An Ebute Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, yesterday admitted the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens, Mr Richard Nyong, to bail on personal recognizance.

The court presided over by Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku also admitted Mr Taiwo Odofin, one of the contractors that supervised the collapsed five-storey building, to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum. According to the Magistrate, the sureties are to be of good standing with verifiable evidences of tax payment.

The court also ordered the duo to report to the police between the hours of 8am and 5pm every working day and to deposit their international passports and not to travel abroad during the pendency of the matter.

The duo were earlier remanded by the Magistrate in prison custody following an ex-parte application brought before the court by the Officer-in-Charge of Legal Department of Police, CSP Thomas Eno-Edobor. Their remand was to allow the police conclude its investigation and file proper charges against them.

However, ruling Friday on the two separate bail applications filed by the applicants, the Magistrate found merits on the applications, saying it was within the jurisdiction of the court to admit the defendants to bail

The Magistrate, who took notice of the prosecution’s submission that the applications were not properly filed, noted that there was nothing to show from the prosecution that the defendants would not attain trial or interfere in police investigation.

The court also said rule that it has jurisdiction to entertain the bail application, saying that bail is at the discretion of the court, which should take cognizance of the ability of the applicant to attain trial and the criminal records of the applicants.

It dismissed the applicants’ applications seeking to set aside the remand order, saying the order was legal, and in accordance to the law since the police has the constitutional rights to invite and investigate any allegations without prior knowledge of the person.

In admitting the applicants to bail, the court noted that Nyong is a law-abiding citizen without criminal antecedent.

“He is also a managing director of a firm, with about 8,000 employees, who is ready to attend trial and his disposition to an affidavit that he will not interfere with investigation has not been controverted or challenged by the prosecution. The most important consideration in admittance to bail, the court noted is the attendance of trial, of which the prosecution has no evidence to contradict,” the court added.

Further hearing on the matter has been adjourned till April 12.

News Express reports that Nyong and Odofin were arrested shortly after a five-storey building under construction on Kushenla Road, Ikate Elegushi area of the state collapsed and killed no fewer than 34 persons. The building had crumbled around 4 am with several persons trapped in the rubble forcing the state government to seal the building.

•Photo shows Nyong and Odofin arriving court pror to being granted bail.

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