Osagie Otabor, Akure
There was heavy security at the premises and road leading to the Ondo State High Court, Akure as crowd besieged the court to watch proceedings of the case involving founder of Sotitobire Miracle center, Akure, Prophet Babatunde Alfa and other five members of the church over a missing child.
The child, Gold Kolawole, was just a year old when he vanished from the church.
At the resumed hearing the case, the court refused to hear the bail application of the founder of Sotitobire Miracle center, Akure, Prophet Babatunde Alfa and other five members of the church.
Other defendants are: Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola ,Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo and Esther Kayode.
The six defendants were docked over on 10 November, 2019.
Presiding Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, ruled that there was no need to entertain bail application by the defendants’ counsel, Olusala Oke, as the court would ensure accelerated hearing of the suit.
READ ALSO: Missing Child: Court remands Sotitobire founder in prison
The Court had ordered the defendants remanded at Nigerian Correctional Centre at Olokuta Akure on February 3rd, 2020 and adjourned to Monday March 14 to hear and ruled on their bail application.
Prophet Babatunde and his members had pleaded not guilty to the counts involving aiding kidnapping of the missing child charged against them.
Prosecuting counsel and State Attorney General, Kola Olawoye, caused a stir in court when he sought to adjourned
the case to June, 2020 for further hearing.
The request by the AG was as a result of an appeal filed at Appeal Court by the defedants against the refusal of the high court to grant the defendants bail during the February 2, 2020 sitting.
Olawoye and Sotitobire’s Counsel, Olusola Oke later agreed that the appeal should be withdrawn to enable the trial to continue.
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