Old thread https://www.nairaland.com/6164128/babatunde-alfa-sotitobire-church-sentenced

• Truth Has Prevailed Over Falsehood – Appellant’s Counsel
• We’ll Study Judgment Before Taking Action –Govt

The Court of Appeal, Akure Division, has upturned the life imprisonment sentence against the Founder of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, Akure, Prophet Babatunde Alfa, over the mysterious disappearance of a child in his church.

Following his conviction last year by the lower court, Prophet Alfa approached the Court of Appeal to nullify the life imprisonment judgment.

It will be recalled that a toddler and 13 months old boy, Master Gold Kolawole, was declared missing after his mother, Mrs. Modupe Kolawole, dropped him off at the church’s children department on November 10, 2019.


About 30 days after, Prophet Alfa was arrested by officials of the Department of State Services (DSS), following a petition by the missing boy’s parent over the alleged failure by the Nigerian Police Force to intervene in the situation.

The situation aggravated on December 18, 2019, as angry youths attacked and razed the church over rumours that the corpse of the missing baby was exhumed from the church altar.

Meanwhile, the Ondo State High Court presided over by Justice Olusegun Odusola, on October 6, 2020, had sentenced Prophet Alfa to life imprisonment over what he described as his complicity in the mysterious disappearance of little Kolawole from his church.

The lower court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and aiding and abetting kidnapping sentenced the prophet, alongside five other workers of his church.

Other convicted church workers, who were teachers in the Children Department of the church, were: Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo and Esther Kayode.

But in the Court of Appeal judgment yesterday, which lasted about one hour, the Presiding Judge, Justice Hammah Barka, ruled that the circumstantial evidence the High Court based its judgement was not enough to convict the 43-year-old Prophet, Alfa.

Justice Barka knocked out the prayer of the counsel to the appellant, Gboyega Awomolo (SAN), who was represented by Akinyemi Omoware, that the DSS cannot investigate crime.


While arguing his briefs for the appellant during the last hearing in September 2021, Awomolo had questioned the validity of the investigation by DSS as the police was already on the case. He said the case was ‘hijacked’ by the secret service.

Awomolo added that the DSS should not have arrested or investigated the case since it was a criminal matter thus nullifying other actions including the prosecution and eventual conviction of the Prophet.

He added that the circumstantial evidence upon which the defendant was jailed was faulty, praying that the appellate court should quash the lower judgement of the High Court and set Prophet Alfa free.

Speaking to journalists after the court set the Prophet free, he said: “Truth must prevail over falsehood. The Prophet was convicted of conspiracy, aiding and abetting kidnapping. The Court of Appeal has overturned that judgement.

“It was held that the appellant was not found culpable of the alleged offence. He is not guilty as pronounced upon by the trial court.

“We are using this medium to tell the members of the church and the general public that they should rejoice with conscience. They should not go out causing problem. They should take it that, that is the will of God. We are happy for this.”He added that one of the defendants, Motunrayo Ogunjobi, has equally been discharged, saying that the court insisted that there is no iota of evidence against her, just like the Prophet that they don’t know about the commission of the offence.

He said, “The basis was that the prosecution has failed in its entirety to prove the element of the alleged offence. The implication of that is that there were convicted wrongly by the lower court but they have been justified by the Court of Appeal.

“We are happy that God has vindicated him. I think that should be enough. He is a Prophet of God. It has been destined that he will walk this way and pass through this challenge. Whatever compensation that anybody may think he is entitled to, that will not be enough to justify.”

Reacting to the judgment, the Attorney General of State, Charles Titiloye, disclosed that the state government would study the judgement before taking next line of action.

“The Court of Appeal has decided this matter. The court has affirmed that the DSS can as a matter of fact investigate any case. However, the Court of Appeal has stated that circumstantial evidence upon which was based upon by the lower court is not enough to sustain conviction of the defendant and has discharged the defendant.

“Our attitude from the state is that we will study the judgement and take proper step we are suppose to take.”

https://guardian.ng/news/missing-child-acourt-upturns-life-imprisonment-frees-sotitobire/

We must respect the judgment of the court.

Only God knows the truth that the court doesn't know.

But nobody can appeal cases adjudged by God. We rely on material evidence but He isn't.

Mmmh get as e bi

So the child and his bereaved parents can go and die? God knows best. Enjoy your freedom if you have no hands in the child disappearance.

No be Naija ni

Ok

Hmmm

But if at the supreme Court it's later proven that he is innocent of the charges brought against him and accordingly finally aquited at then he should be paid some compensations for the time he has spent wrongly in prison.

G

The best Justice is the Conscience

In Nigeria the poor is always alone

Bastard looks guilty to me, this is what you get when you visit these soothsayers & necromancers best believe they finna take something from you.

As Akure don cast, Pastor will relocate to Lagos and start all over again.

It is well

gasparpisciotta:
As Akure don cast, Pastor will relocate to Lagos and start all over again.

Nigga has just been given licence to kidnap with impunity,

I know this case has not end with him, the church has renovate there structure putting banners out side in other to welcome him back before pronouncement of his freedom
A woman who was sentence mentioned date they will be free before the pronouncement of the judgment to free him when she's giving testimony

If the court finds him innocent, so be it.

This life no balance at all...enjoy your freedom fake ass

This is quite dicey. I agree he should be held accountable as the overseer of the church, but would that have been the case if it happened in the churches of one of the popular brand name pastors

I am in support of the appeal court

Hope he's innocent

Hmm mm.......... That's all that came from my mouth. You took a child to children's church, the child got missing and the biznes owner is a free man.

So if children lost now for Redeem camp church, dem go go arrest pastor Adeboye abi.
Human being and their hypocritical witch-hunting.

Hmm....

Servant of God

Let's not be too sentimental about this. It's just too sad that a child got missing in the man's church, but did he take the child? If there's any evidence to that effect, the prosecution should find it or just leave it! The people I blame most in all of this are the children's handlers in the children's church! How can a child leave your care without you noticing? It takes a lot of dedication and passion to work in the children's church and if you're not cut out for it, don't join! I pray God in His infinite mercy consoles the parents and give them the fortitude to bear this loss and move on

AND WETIN UNA WANT MAKE WE DO?.....MAKE WE RUN?