Mr Temitope Kolawole, the father of a baby that went missing at Sotitobire Miracle Centre, a church in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Tuesday testified at the trial of the founder of the church, Prophet Alfa Babatunde and six of his members accused of kidnapping the child.
The court admitted as evidence the statement of the father of the missing boy made at the anti-kidnapping section of the Ondo State Police Command as presented by the defence counsel.
The trial of the church founder resumed 35 days after the last adjournment as a result of the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Babatunde is standing trial with six other members of his church over the disappearance of a year-old boy, Gold Kolawole in his church last year.
The father of the missing boy, Mr Kolawole, was the star witness and was cross-examined by the Director of Public Prosecution, Ms Grace Olowoporoku, for over four hours.
Mr Kolawole told the court how he was allegedly harassed and his clothes torn by loyalists of Prophet Babatunde in the church
He denied the allegation that he was refused a visa on the allegations that he was on a watch list of the United States government for criminal charges.
The Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adekola Olawoye, and the defence counsel expressed satisfaction with the proceedings
Trial judge Justice Olusegun Odusola ruled that the anti-kidnapping unit statement made on the 14th November 2019 be admitted, saying it substantially complied with Section 104 of the Evidence Act.
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