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Prophet Alfa Babatunde, currently serving a life sentence for the disappearance of a 13-month-old boy, has returned to the courts to plead his innocence once again saying that he should be released, on the ground of miscarriage of justice.
The convict, founder of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, who was convicted on October 6, 2020, who filed additional grounds of appeal against his conviction, through his lawyer, informed the court that he was adding 12 other grounds on an initial five grounds of appeal to challenge his conviction, for the mysterious disappearance of a 13-month-old boy, Gold Kolawole, from his church.
Justice Olusegun Odusola had convicted the cleric alongside five other workers of his church, Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo and Esther Kayode, after they were found guilty of the two-count charges of conspiracy as well as aiding and abetting kidnapping preferred against them, based on the circumstantial evidence.
In the 17 grounds of appeal, the jailed cleric said the trial judge erred in law and acted without jurisdiction for convicting him for the offence of aiding and abetting kidnapping knowing that investigation, arraignment and trial did not follow due process of law.
Prophet Alfa said he was tried and convicted in violation of his rights under the Nigeria Constitution and thereby occasioned a miscarriage of justice, urging the appellate court to set aside his conviction as well as discharge and acquit him.
Justice Rita Nosakhare Pemu, who presided over the matter, in her ruling, gave him 14 days to file an amendment to the notice of appeal, adding that the next date of an adjournment would be communicated to both parties
