After 11 months of trial, an Ondo court has sentenced founder of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, Prophet Babatunde Alfa to life imprisonment over the disappearance of a 13-month-old boy Gold Kolawole.
The boy was last seen in Alfa’s church.
Members of the church wept as their leader was being taken away by security men and court officials.
Five workers of his church were also jailed after they were found guilty of conspiracy as well as aiding and abetting kidnapping.
The convicted church workers were Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo and Esther Kayode.
In his five-hour judgement, Justice Olusegun Odusola held that the accused persons were convicted based on the circumstancial evidence presented by the prosecution.
Justice Odusola condemned in strong terms the complicity, connivance and compromise of the state police command in the missing child saga.
Odusola ruled that the lackadaisical attitude of Prophet Alfa showed his involvement in the disappearance of Gold Kolawole from his church in November last year.
Prophet Alfa and the five church workers were sentenced to seven years imprisonment for conspiracy.
The seventh defendant, Peter Anjorin, was discharged and acquitted for lack of substantial evidence.
Prophet Alfa popular church is located at Oshinle Quarters in Akure, the state capital.
The church was burnt down by a mob after Gold’s disappearance.
He has not been seen till date.
