Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

A Magistrates’ Court in Akure, the Ondo State capital, yesterday ordered that the founder of Sotitobire Miracle Centre, Akure, Alfa Babatunde, be remanded in prison over the whereabouts of one year-old Gold Kolawole, who was declared missing in his (Babatunde’s) church during a programme.

Babatunde, who appeared before Magistrate Charity Adeyanju had earlier been arrested and detained by the state police command before the Department of State Security (DSS) took over the matter early this month.

The church founder, who was in the custody of the DSS for over two Weeks, was alleged to have buried the missing baby inside his church, a development, which prompted some irate youths to set the church ablaze last week.

The cleric, who was arraigned alongside six other members of his church by the DSS, was alleged to have abducted the missing baby on November 10, at about 11.45am at Sotitobire Miracle Centre located at Solagbade Street, Oshinle quarters, Akure.

The charge sheet reads: “That you Alfa Babatunde, Omodara Olayinka, Margret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo, Esther Kayode, Peter Anjorin, and others now at large on the 10th day of November, 2019 at about 11.45am at Sotitobire church did conspire together to commit felony to wit, kidnapping and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 516 of the criminal code cap 37 vol 1 laws of Ondo State.

The suspects were also accused of aiding the abduction of a 13- Month-old baby, Gold Kolawole, and thereby, committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 5(i) of the Ondo State anti-kidnapping and anti-abduction law, 2010.

The prosecutor also told the court that one of the suspects, Peter Anjorin on November 10, at about 2pm at the premises of the DSS, Alagbaka, Akure destroyed an evidence by secretly taken away the vital evidence that would have aided the speedy investigation in respect of the missing child (Gold Kolawole) and, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 123 of criminal code cap 37 Vol I laws of Ondo State 2006.”

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Joshua Dada, who prayed the court to remand the accused persons in prison pending further investigation, said if the accused persons were granted bail, it would jeopardize further  investigation on the matter.

Counsel to the accused, Olusola Oke, however, urged the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal term.

He said there was no vital evidence to link his client with the allegations leveled against him and urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

The presiding magistrate, in his ruling, held that the court lacks the jurisdiction to try the accused persons and ordered the suspects to be remanded in prison pending the conclusion of investigation by the DSS, while the matter would be transferred to the state High Court for further hearing.

Babatunde, who could not control his emotion in the court, wept till he

was taken away by officials of the Olokuta correctional centre.