The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure has freed the founder of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, Prophet Babatunde Alfa, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by an Ondo State High Court.

Recall that Prophet Alfa was jailed last year over the mysterious disappearance of a 13-month child, Gold Kolawole from his church.

Gold, who has not been seen till date, was brought to the church service by his parents but was never seen again. The church was subsequently razed down by a mob.

Defendants were thereafter arrested by the men of the Directorate of State Security and later charged to court on two-count charges of kidnapping and aiding and abetting to kidnap.

The lower court, presided over by Justice Olusegun Odusola in 2020 sentenced Babatunde and five others – Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo and Esther Kayode – to life imprisonment, having found them guilty of the two-count charge.

However, the high court judgement was upturned as the appellate judge, Justice Hammah Barka, said the circumstantial evidence upon which the lower court based its judgement was not enough to convict the appellants.

As a result, he discharged and acquainted the appellants.