Missing child: How Sotitobire’s loyalists harassed me, tore my cloth – father tells court

Father of the one year old boy that got missing at the Sotitobire miracle centre in Akure last year, Temitope Kolawole on Tuesday testified at the
ongoing trial of the church’s founder  prophet Alfa Babatunde and 6 other members on three  counts including conspiracy to and abetting kidnap over the dissapearance of one year old Gold Kolawole in the church last year.

The Court Presided over by Justice Olusegun odusola also admitted as evidence the statement of Temitope Kolawole made at the anti kidnapping section of the Ondo state police Command presented by the defence counsel.

After appearances by Counsel, the third and star witness, for the prosecution, Temitope Kolawole, father of the missing boy was examined by the state led by the director of public prosecution, grace Olowoporoku for over four hours.

Kolawole told the court how he was allegedly harrased and his cloth torn by loyalists of prophet Babatunde in the church before he ran to the  deji of akure’s palace during in the search fornhis one year old son.

He also alleged that 14 children teachers in the church claimed to have gone to throw away thrash while his son got missing.

While being cross examined by the defence counsels, olusola oke, olumide Ogidan and akinyemi omoware, Kolawole said he got to know the prophet in June 2019 and denied the report that he was refused visa on the allegations that he was on the watch list by the US government for criminal charges.

A mild drama however ensued when the prosecution tried to prevent the defence  from tendering Kolawole’s statement made with anti kidnapping unit of the ondo state command of the nigeria police on the basis that it was not part of the earlier listed documents.

Justice Olusegun odusola however ruled that the anti kidnapping unit statement made on the 14th November 2019 be admitted saying it substantially complied with section 104 of the evidence act

The attorney general and commissioner for justice Adekola Olawoye and the defence counsel expressed satisfaction with the proceedings.

Prophet Babatunde and his co defendants were thereafter returned to the Olokuta facility of the nigeria correctional service for continuation of hearing on Wednesday (today) 3rd June 2020.

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