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Lekki Gardens MD to spend 30 days in police cell

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Lekki Gardens MD to spend 30 days in police cell

The managing director of Lekki Gardens, owners of the collapsed five-story building in Lekki, Richard Nyom, has been ordered remanded in Police custody for 30 days.

Nyom, alongside side a contractor, Odofin Taiwo, were taken to the Ebute-Meta Magistrate Court in handcuffs over their roles in the building collapse.

It would be recalled that the building, which was under construction, collapsed on Tuesday, leading to the death of 35 people while several others were injured.

The Magistrate, Mrs. Afolashade Bokotu, ordered that Nyom and Taiwo, who were brought to the court in handcuffs earlier today, should be kept in police custody at the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba for the next 30 days, pending the conclusion of police investigation.

 The Lagos State government, who is prosecuting Nyom and Taiwo, are accusing the management of Lekki Gardens of complicity in the collapse of the building which led to the death of innocent people.

The state government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, on Wednesday, said the state government had sealed off the building through the Lagos State Building Control Agency, only for the management of Lekki Gardens, to continue without approval.

Read also: Lekki Gardens MD dragged to court in handcuffs

“Based on preliminary reports and investigation, it was discovered that the collapsed building was served contravention notice for exceeding the approved floors and thereafter sealed by the Lagos State Building Control Agency,” the statement read in part.

“But in a brazen act of defiance and impunity, the owners of the building, Messrs Lekki Worldwide Estate Limited, the promoters of Lekki Gardens, criminally unsealed the property and continued building beyond the approved floors until the unfortunate incident of Tuesday which has led to loss of lives.”

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode subsequently ordered all the directors of Messrs Lekki Worldwide Estate, the promoters of Lekki Gardens, to report to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, within 24 hours or face arrest. Nyom and Taiwo were arrested on Thursday.

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0 Comments

  1. Apachee zooma

    March 11, 2016 at 5:54 pm

    Pretty sad! If the claims by Lagos are correct, then these guys got blood on their hands.

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