Justice Olusegun Odusola of the Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure on Tuesday sentenced the Founder of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, Prophet Babatunde Alfa, and 5 others to life imprisonment over the disappearance of a one-year-old boy, Gold Kolawole, in the church last year.
Other convicts included Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo and Esther Kayode.
Gold was reportedly abducted at the children section of the church located at Oshinle Quarters in Akure, the state capital, on November 10, 2019, during a service.
Alfa was consequently arrested alongside seven other members of the church and charged to a magistrate court.
The matter was latter transferred to the state High Court where the prosecuting and defence counsels argued and presented witnesses.
Meanwhile, the incident had, in Decemeber, 2019, degenerated into a crisis as angry protesters stormed the church and burned down the building after a rumour that Gold’s body was found on the altar.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Odusola said the defendants were found guilty of the two-count charge of kidnapping and aiding and abetting to kidnap based on the circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution.
They were sentenced to life imprisonment on the second count of aiding and abetting kidnapping, contrary to and punishable under Section 5 of the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Law 2010.
In the over five hours judgment, the judge also condemned in strong terms the “complicity, connivance and compromise of the Ondo State Police Command” in the matter.
Justice Odusola added that the lackadaisical attitude of the cleric was a pointer to his involvement in the criminal act.