It is no more news that Prophet Babatunde Alfa, founder of Sotitobire Church in Akure, the Ondo state capital and five others were sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Olusegun Odusola of the Akure High Court on October 6, 2020.
What is however news is that members of the Church have vowed to appeal the case at the upper court.
When The Precision NG visited the Church premises after the judgement, some members of the Church were seen around the facility which was burnt last year after rumours went round that the baby was found on the Church’s altar, an allegation that was laid to rest during the 11 months trial of the Church founder.
One of the Church members who spoke to The Precision NG but craved anonymity said the judgment would be appealed as they believe the prophet and other convicted members are innocent of the charges.
“We believe that the prophet is innocent of the charges as he is a true man of God. This is my sixth year of attending this Church and God has been answering my prayer.
“I have not seen anything fetish with him, all he has been doing is to bring people from evil to Christ.
“We are surprised that the prophet was jailed because we believe he’s innocent, and mind you the child in question has not been found. What if the child is found tomorrow, what would happened?
“So we will appeal the case. We want well meaning Nigerians to come to the prophet’s aid as justice must prevail.”
Related: They Have A Right Of Appeal – Counsel To Prophet Alfa, Five Others React
The Church member also raised the issue of the child being found in Abuja, adding that a letter emerged from the office of the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Adekola Olawoye, SAN purportedly stopping further investigation on the matter.
The Precision NG recalled that the Commissioner for Justice had clarified this in an interview with Radio Nigeria – Positive 102.5 FM during the period of the case.
He added that the letter from his office in no way obstruct further investigation into the matter.
“If anybody is now mischievous and reading meaning to that letter, I don’t think that letter is telling the police not to investigate.
“The dimension there is that they said they have found the missing boy somewhere in Abuja and if they have found him, what is the next thing? They should have presented the boy.
“Does the letter obscure investigation? Does it say the police should not go further with their investigation?
“I wrote a letter but I didn’t say they should not investigate the matter.
“Mind you, everything is now being investigated by the DSS and when it became a drama, the court order that the DSS should come into it.
“The DSS have invited me and I have explained my own. Let the other side go there and explain too,” he said.
During The Precision NG’s visit to the Church premises, burnt vehicles could still be seen around the area, while the Church building is now a shadow of itself.
Banners of the Church’s 13th anniversary celebration was displayed at the entrance of the Church and also placed on the altar. The altar though with few broken tiles, there were no indication that the altar was dug as widely reported before the Church was razed on December 18, 2020.
On November 9, 2019, a one-year-old boy, Gold Kolawole got missing at the Church’s children section. This resorted to the arrest of the Church founder and six others who were charged to court on three counts of conspiracy, kidnapping and aiding and abet to kidnap.
Justice Odusola in his ruling on Tuesday, October 6, 2020, ruled that Prophet Babatunde Alfa alongside five others were guilty of the offence and thereby send them to life imprisonment based on the circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution.
One of them, Peter Anjorin was however freed as no evidence could be proven against him.
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