From Damisi Ojo, Akure
Ondo State Police Commissioner Undie Adie on Thursday confirmed the arrest of 10 persons in connection with the burning down on Wednesday of a worship centre, Sotitobire Miracle Centre, in Oshinle, Akure.
Some angry youths torched the worship centre, alleging that the body of a missing one year old boy, Gold Kolawole, who got missing in the church over one month ago, was exhumed from the altar.
Adie said the command would investigate the incident and punish anybody found guilty.
He said: “Following the incident, men of the Nigeria Police Force swung into action to avoid breakdown of law and order.
“Investigation is on. I can assure you that any person linked with the incident won’t be spared. On Wednesday, we nabbed 10 persons and they are in our custody. We also intercepted a vehicle carrying some of the items looted at the pastor’s house.
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“The police protected the pastor’s house from being set ablaze, but some of his belongings were looted. Some of his cars were vandalised, but they have been moved to the state CID.”
The police commissioner confirmed the death of a sergeant and a civilian, saying another policeman was seriously injured.
He appealed to Akure residents to be law-abiding.
The founder of the worship centre, Prophet Babatunde, has sued the Department of State Service (DSS) at a Federal High Court sitting in Akure “for his unlawful detention for over one week and failure to arraign him over the incident of a one-year boy, Gold Kolawole, who got missing in his church.”
The cleric was accused by the parents of the missing child over the mysterious disappearance of their son from his church during service.
Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN has urged Akure residents to be peaceful.
He said they should not take the law into their hands concerning the burning of the worship centre in Akure on Wednesday.
The governor said he was being briefed on the incident by security agencies, including the DSS, adding that the matter would be resolved soon.
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