Prophet Alfa Babatunde Samuel has dragged the Department of State Service (DSS) to a federal High Court sitting in Akure over his unlawful detention for over one week and failure to arraign him over the incident of one-year Boy, Gold Kolawole who got missing in his church.
His Lawyer, Akinyemi Omoware, esq who confirmed the new development said “the DSS has refused to either arraigned him in court or release him on bail. This is the highest height of injustice.
“On Friday 13/12/19, we were constrained to file an application at the Federal High Court, Akure to enforce our client’s fundamental human right. An advance copy thereof was served on DSS,” he said.
Read full statement below:
PRESS STATETMENT
ON ALLEGATION OF MISSING CHILD IN SOTITOBIRE PRAISING CHAPEL
The incident of missing child happened on 10/11/19 in the Children Department outside the Church Auditorium. The Children Department was manned by 14 Children Teachers while Prophet Alfa Babatunde Samuel was on the alter throughout the Sunday service.
On 11/11/19 our firm was consulted, after hearing from the church and the telephone conversation between Prophet Alfa Babatunde Samuel and Mrs. Kolawole (mother of the missing child), we put up a petition to the Commissioner of Police requesting for a thorough and discreet investigation of the missing child most especially the information credited to Mrs Kolawole that the same child and the father or the father’s sibling was kidnapped about a year ago. The petition was copied to DSS, NSCDC, DPO (B Division).
On 13/11/19 Prophet Alfa Babatunde Samuel was invited by the police officers at the Anti-Kidnapping section of the Nigerian Police, we went in his company to the Antikidnapping Section and subsequently handed over the 14 Children Teachers and a pastor to the police for investigation.
On 15/11/19 the police officers at the Anti-kidnapping section brought all parties before the Deputy Commissioner of Police for interview. The Deputy Commissioner advised the parties to work together in supporting the police in the investigation instead of media campaign. He directed parties to interview the Commissioner of Police on Monday, 18/11/19.
Contrary to the advice of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Kolawole went to Adaba FM on Saturday, 16/11/19 in further defamatory broadcast of Prophet Alfa Babatunde Samuel as kidnapper. Consequently, a letter dated 18/11/19 was addressed to the General Manager, Adaba FM calling for restraint so as not to jeopardize the investigation of the police.
That all parties involved including the Prohpet Alfa Babatunde Samuel, the 14 Children Teachers and 3 Pastors met with the Commissioner of Police, after several hour of interrogation, the Commissioner of Police directed that the mobile phone of everybody involved be seized and tracking/data call analysis thereof be made.
That the Applicant has made himself available for all investigation as finding the child is the only way through which the name of Prophet Alfa Babatunde Samuel which has been battered and smeared by Mrs. Kolawole may be cleared.
On Tuesday, 10/12/19 DSS call us to bring Prophet Alfa Babatunde Samuel for interaction with their Director. As a law abiding citizen, we went to DSS office with our client.
Prophet Alfa Babatunde Samuel was taken without our notice to his house and church for thorough search and investigation activities while we were waiting in DSS office on the premise that our client is still interacting with the Director. It was around 8pm that we were ‘released’ and was told that our client has been detained.
On Wednesday, 11/12/19 our client informed us in the presence of the DSS officers that he was leg cuffed, stripped half naked and kept in a cell. Our plea that our client be confronted with the petition written against him was rejected by DSS.
The statement of our client was obtained in our presence. We offered to hand over all the 14 Children Teachers and anybody to assist in DSS investigation. We have handed them over to DSS so as to ease their investigation and release our client on bail.
It is unfortunate that notwithstanding our cooperation with DSS, our client has been detained for 8 days without food contrary to the extant provision of all known laws.
The general public has been misinformed with scandalous information and as to the whereabout of Prophet Alfa Babatunde Samuel. As his Counsel, we were not allowed access to our client for about 7 days now. The DSS has refused to either arraigned him in court or release him on bail. This is the highest height of injustice.
On Friday 13/12/19 we were constrained to file an application at the Federal High Court, Akure to enforce our client’s fundamental human right. An advance copy thereof was served on DSS.
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