MISSING BOY: Prophet Babatunde’s Phone To Be Used Against Him In Court As Defence Opens Case Next Week

The Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure on Thursday admitted as exhibits the mobile phone of Prophet Alfa Babatunde, the founder of the Sotitobire Miracle Centre, in the case of the one-year-old boy, Gold Eniola Kolawole, who had been declared missing at the church.

Prophet Babatunde and six other members of his church are standing trial on three counts, including conspiracy to commit felony to wit: aiding and abetting kidnapping, aiding and abetting to kidnap and destroying evidence before the state High Court.  

At the hearing of the case in the court, the prosecution was allowed to close its case after calling the 9th witness, Mr Johnson Adebayo, an operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), to testify. 

Mr Johnson explained how he was detailed by his superior in the DSS office to escort the 7th defendant, Peter Anjorin, who is also a personal assistant to the prophet, to pick his personal belongings from Babatunde’s vehicle.

The vehicle was already parked in their custody immediately he was detained for questioning. 

The DSS operative disclosed that Anjorin got to where the vehicle was parked and immediately picked out a “Samsung Galaxy Note phone” which he hid in his pocket, after claiming it was his phone and left their office with it.

He added that it was about 8 days later that he saw Anjorin in the DSS office with the same phone which he took away.

But during cross-examination by the counsel to the 7th defendant, Olalekan Akinrinsola, the DSS operative admitted that there was no inventory of what Anjorin took away from the prophet’s car while in their custody. 

However, the prosecution team, led by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Grace Olowoporoku, tendered the phone which belongs to Prophet Babatunde as an exhibit. 

Justice Olusegun Odusola, without any opposition from the defence, added the retrieved phone to exhibits before the court. 

Odusola later adjourned the case for further hearing till 25th, 29th and 30 June 2020 to enable the defence to open its case before the court over the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the little boy.