The prosecution in the ongoing trial of the founder, Sotitobire Praising Church Centre, Prophet Alfa Babatunde and six members of his church may close its case next Monday with the last witness.
Earlier at the sitting on Wednesday, Head, Children Department of the Chapel, Margaret Oyebola was on the spotlight, as the sixth prosecution witness, a personnel of the Department of State Services, DSS, Adijat Owoyemi, testified on the defendant's statement.
Oyebola was the third defendant standing trial alongside Prophet Babatunde and five others following the disapearance of Gold Kolawole in the church last November.
The court however, adjourned till Monday to enable the prosecution call its last witness.
While being led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs Grace Olowoporoku, the sixth witness for the state and DSS Adijat Owoyemi said she investigated and recorded the statement of Margaret Oyebola, while in custody.
Owoyemi said she followed due process while obtaining Oyebola's statement, who was the Head of Children Department at the Sotitobire Praising Chapel where Gold got missing during a Sunday service.
According to her, Oyebola, after writing the statement, willingly appended her signature just like the Legal Aid Council official who witnessed the process.
Under cross examined by Oyebola's counsel, Olumide Ogidan, the DSS personnel said she did not know who brought the defendant to their facility as her job was just to investigate and obtain statements in line with rules of engagement.
However, efforts by Olumide Ogidan, to prevent the prosecution from tendering Oyebola's statement while in the custody of the DSS as an evidence was not successful.
The court ruled that the state's application to tender the statement complied with section 12 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, (ACJL).
At the end of the proceedings, the state counsel, Grace Olowoporoku and the lead defence counsel, Olusola Oke, expressed readiness for speedy dispensation of the case.
Further hearing was adjourned till Monday June 8, 2020, to enable the prosecution call the last witness.
Meanwhile, Prophet Alfa Babatunde and his co-defendants were returned to the Nigeria Correctional Service in Olokuta.
