The case of kidnapping against the founder of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, Akure, in Ondo State, Alfa Samuel Babatunde, has been transferred from the Magistrates’ Court to the state High Court.
The Sotitobire Church founder was charged alongside six members of his church on six counts of felony, conspiracy, and kidnapping following the disappearance of a one-year-old boy, Gold Kolawole, inside his church on the 10th of November, last year.
Kolawole was allegedly abducted during a Sunday service of the church by an unknown person in November last year and his whereabouts remained unknown until now.
Consequently, the pastor and other defendants were arrested and arraigned before a magistrate court by the men of the state security service on six counts. They were later remanded in prison custody by the court.
At the last hearing, the matter was adjourned till Wednesday, February 5, 2020, by the magistrate court but the matter did not come up for hearing.
Hundreds of followers of the pastor had clustered on the premises of the magistrates’ court, Oke Eda, Akure, waiting for the arrival of their pastor from the prison but they were disappointed as the defendants and their counsels were absent at the court.
However, it was gathered that the case had been transferred to the State High Court and the hearing comes up on Thursday, February 6, 2020.
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Confirming the development, counsel for the first defendant, Babatunde, Olusola Oke, said the case had been formally transferred to the High Court which informed the reason it did not come up on Wednesday as scheduled, at the lower court.
According to him, the case would begin afresh at the High Court in Akure, saying he and his client would be in court on Thursday for the first hearing.
