Synagogue: Court Fails To Deliver Judgment On TB Joshua’s Application

Synagogue: Court Fails To Deliver Judgment On TB Joshua’s Application

Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday failed to deliver judgment in a suit filed by the founder of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, Prophet Temitope Joshua, seeking to stop the on going coroner's inquest into the collapsed of a building belonging to his church.

The judge, who had earlier fixed Tuesday for judgment told parties in the matter that she needed them to addressed her on the question of whether or not the coroner was a juristic entity that could be sued.

According to the judge this is a very important point of law that needed to be addressed by counsel in the matter to assist her in her judgement.

She therefore directed them to file written submissions on the question, while also reserving judgment till March 6, 2015.

It will be recalled that 116 persons mostly South Africans died in the tragic incident that occurred on September 12, 2014.

The public outcry that greeted the incident forced the Lagos State Government to set up the Coroner's inquest, presided over by Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe to investigate the cause of the building collapse.

However, mid way into the proceedings after refusing to honour the invitation of the Coroner, Joshua ran before the high court urging it to stop his invitation.

The clergy also prayed the court to determine whether or not the witness summons served on him to appear before the coroner to testify was not a breach of his right to fair hearing when no material fact against him had been placed before the court.

He also wanted the court to determine whether the coroner had not been extending the inquest into areas beyond his statutory scope.

His lawyer, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had contended that the duty of the coroner stopped at determining the cause of death of the victims.

Fagbemi had further insisted that the coroner had no legal authority to inquire into the cause of the building collapse, wherein the victims lost their lives.

In responding, lawyer to the Lagos State Government, Owokoniran prayed the court to throw out the suit for lack of merit.

According to him, the coroner had extensive powers to investigate the cause and circumstances of death and bring his findings and recommendations to the attention of appropriate authorities.

Owokoniran submitted that, "In doing this, he has all the powers of a magistrate to summon and compel the attendance of witnesses, including medical examiners, and require them to give evidence, produce documents or present other relevant materials.

"In order to determine the cause of death, the coroner has the latitude to investigate issues pertaining to building approval, soil testing and materials used in the construction of the collapsed building."

Meanwhile, at the resumption of the proceedings of the Coroner's Inquest on Tuesday, the Chief Security Officer of SCOAN, Mr. Sunday Okojie told the court that the church is well secured. 

Okojie, who was being cross-examined by the counsel to the Lagos State Government,  Akingbolahan Adeniran told the inquest that the buildings within the church premises have always been under security surveillance before and after the September 12 2014collapse.