Ondo missing child: Church General Overseer, six others remanded in prison

An Oke-Eda Akure magistrate court in Ondo State has remanded the founder and General Overseer of Sotitobire Miracle Centre, Akure, Prophet Alfa Babatunde, at the Olokuta Correctional Centre, Akure, for alleged conspiracy to kidnap, and allegedly aiding kidnapping.

Also remanded with him were Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Motunrayo Egunjobi, Esther Kayode and Peter Anjorin, described as members of Babatunde’s church.

The defendants, who were arraigned before Magistrate Charity Adeyanju, by the Department of State Services (DSS), were alleged to have committed the offences on November 10, 2019 at about 11.45am at Sotitobire Praising Chapel, No 48, Solagbade Street, Oshinle Quarters, Akure, Ondo State.

They were charged with conspiring to commit felony, to wit, kidnapping 13-month-old Gold Eninlaloluwa Kolawole, and actually aiding the kidnap.

Anjorin was separately charged with destroying evidence by secretly taking away the vital evidence that would have aided speedy investigation in respect of the missing child.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr Joshua Dada, prayed the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody for further investigation, arguing that giving them bail would jeopardize police investigation.

But counsel to Alfa Babatunde, Barrister Olusola Oke, who spoke with journalists outside the court, said, “The prosecution presented two contradictory positions. In the first instance, there was an application filed on Friday where they alleged that

Babatunde confessed to the allegation of kidnapping. But quite surprisingly today, we challenged them to present the evidence of his confessional statement but they did not bring something like that to court.

“They (defendants) were charged with conspiracy and aiding kidnapping. These are two different situations because if he (Babatunde) actually kidnapped, it would actually have been brought to the public that he kidnapped. But apparently they have nothing against him.

“As lawyers, we believe very strongly in the rule of law that he should be punished, if found culpable. But at the same time, there is no need for us to crucify somebody for any offence that he didn’t commit.”

Alfa Babatunde ‘Sotitobire’ could not control his emotions as he burst into tears when he was being moved out of the court into the Black Maria, alongside the other six defendants.

Adeyanju adjourned the case till January 17, 2019 pending the conclusion of investigation and arraignment at the High Court.