The ongoing trial of the founder of the Sotitobire Praising Chapel, Akure, Prophet Alfa Babatunde, resumed on Monday but the journalists were bar covering the proceeding.
Babatunde has been standing trial over the missing of a one-year-old boy, Gold Kolawole, in November last year . The matter later led to a protest by the residents of the town who burnt down the church and damaged some vehicles belonging to the pastor.
On the matter, the pastor and six other members of the church were arraigned before the court on six-count charge.
A security man at the entrance of the court told our correspondent that there was an order from the office of the chief judge of the state that only two journalists from the state-owned media should be allowed to cover the proceeding.
He said,
” We have been directed not to allow journalists to come in, it was part of the efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus disease and so they don’t want the court premises to be crowded and also to be able to maintain social distance.”
However, it was gathered that there were argument and counter-argument on the court to admit the statement made by the defendants at the custody of the State Security Service, Akure, as evidence for the trial
The trial judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola was said to have ruled in favour of the admissibility of the statements made by prophet Babatunde and defendants 2, 4 , 6, 7 as evidence for the trial on the basis that it was confirmed that a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria was present at the time of recording the statement, in line with the section 17 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Nigeria.
After over six hours of the court proceeding, it was said to have adjourned till April 27, May 11 and 17 for further hearing.
