Missing baby: Defendant lied on exhibit as prosecution closes case

The trial of the founder of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, Akure, Prophet Alfa Babatunde, resumed on Thursday, at the Akure High Court, as the Prosecution counsel established before the court that one of the members of the church and the seventh defendant, Peter Anjorin, falsely claimed ownership of a phone belonging to Babatunde to conceal evidence.

The prosecution team led by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kola Olawoye (SAN) called on the 9th witness, an operative of the Department of State Security (DSS), Johnson Adebayo, who told the court that  Anjorin falsely claimed ownership of a phone belonging to Prophet Babatunde.

According to him, he was assigned by the DSS authorities to accompany  Anjorin to retrieve his personal belongings from the car of Prophet Babatunde on 105h December 2019, but Anjorin went ahead to pick some phones including a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 phone which was later found out to belong to Prophet Babatunde.

He said, “On the 10th December 2019 I was directed by the DSS to lead the 7th defendant (Peter Anjorin) to the car belonging to Prophet Alfa Babatunde on the basis that he should only pick his own personal property from the vehicle. His lawyer also accompanied us to the car.

“On getting to the car, Anjorin went to the driver’s side and picked about three phones and put it directly in his pocket. He went to the other side and also picked a milk-silver Samsung Galaxy Noted 10 phone.

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“When I asked if he’s the owner of the phone, he said yes. After that, he left with the lawyer and I reported back to the management of the DSS.

“After about eight days, when I was in my office, the DSS management sent for me and on getting to the interrogation room, I met Anjorin inside the room and I was asked if I can identify one of the phones which happened to be the Samsung phone he picked last from the car.

“At the interrogation room, he was asked if he’s the owner of the phone and he denied but said it belongs to Prophet Alfa Babatunde.”

The presiding Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, however, admitted the phone as an exhibit while the DSS official claimed not to have taken the inventory of the items picked from the car by Anjorin or record their conversation. while being cross-examined by the defendant’s lawyer, Olalekan Akinrinsola.

Justice Odusola subsequently adjourned sitting till June 25, June 29, and June 30, 2020, for the commencement and conclusion of the defence.

The DSS dragged Prophet Babatunde to court over the disappearance of a 13-month-old child, Gold Kolawole, who went missing during a church service in November 2019.

 

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