By Banji Ayoola
Founder of Sotitobire Miracle Centre, Akure, Ondo State, Prophet Alfa Babatunde, was on Tuesday jailed by an Akure High Court over his involvement in the disappearance of a male toddler, Gold Kolawole, in his church.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court which was presided over by Justice Olusegun Odusola.
Also jailed with him were five other defendants including Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo, and Esther Kayode.
Kolawole was one-year-old at that time of his disappearance from the church in Akure.
He went missing on November 10 during a Sunday service after his mother, Modupe Kolawole, dropped him at the children’s unit of the church.
Specifically, the little boy was abducted by an unknown person during the church service at the children section of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, located at Oshinle Quarters in Akure, the state capital, in November last year, and the whereabouts of the boy was never known.
For this, Babatunde was arrested on December 10, 2019 by the Department of State Services, alongside seven other members of the church, following a petition by parents of the missing child. They were arraigned before a magistrate’s court on six counts.
The case was later transferred to the state High Court.
While delivering his judgement on Tuesday, Justice Odusola condemned in strong terms the complicity, compromise and lackadaisical attitude of the Ondo State Police command after Kolawole went missing, an incident that led to the burning of the church.
The judge convicted the defendants, having found them guilty of two counts of kidnapping, and aiding and abetting to kidnap “based on the circumstantial evidence” presented by the prosecution.
He said the prosecution proved circumstantial evidence against the accused persons.
The popular pastor was charged with kidnap, and remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre following his arraignment before an Akure Magistrate Court in December last year over his alleged involvement in the disappearance of a one-year-old child, GoldKolawole, in his church on Sunday, November 10, 2019.
He was charged for conspiracy to kidnap and aiding kidnapping.
The offences are a breach of Section 5 of Ondo State Anti-kidnapping and anti-abduction law 2010.
One of the suspects, M. Anjorin, was accused of destroying and secretly taking away vital evidence that could have aided speedy investigation in respect of the missing boy, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 123 of the Criminal Code and Cap 37 Laws of Ondo State.
The State Security Services arraigned them before a Magistrate Court in Akure.
Babatunde was arraigned alongside six other defendants, Omodara Olayinka Margaret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo, Esther Kayode and Peter Anjorin.
His arrest by the SSS followed a petition by the parents of the missing child who had lost hope in the police who earlier began an investigation on the matter.
While the case dragged, angry youths invaded the church located at Oshinle area of Akure and set it ablaze over a rumour that security operatives had exhumed the corpse of the baby from the altar of the church.
