A self-aclaimed pastor in Ondo State has been apprehended and remanded over alleged involvement in the death of the son of one of his church members.
The suspect, identified as Samuel Alade-Emin, had pleaded not guilty to the allegation. But an Ondo State Chief Magistrates Court sitting in Akure disagreed with his submission and ordered that he should be remanded till further notice.
According to reports, the deceased had gone missing for a week before he was found in the pastor’s custody at Alagbado village in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state in August 2022.
VAM News learnt that the deceased, Olasupo Abiona and his mother were prominent members of the defendant’s church.
Preliminary reports revealed that Abiona died at an undisclosed hospital after consuming a suspected poisonous substance allegedly given to him by Alade-Emin.
The said pastor was subsequently arrested by the state police command and charged to court. Alade-Emim was reportedly arraigned before the court on a two-count charge bothering on deprivation of liberty and murder.
At the court, the prosecuting counsel, Nelson Akintimehin, accused the suspect of unlawfully detaining Abiona in his custody against his wish, depriving him of his liberty.
According to Akintimehin, the defendant allegedly administered a substance suspected to be poison to the deceased, which made him vomit blood, leading to his death. The prosecutor said the offences committed contravened sections 365 and 316(5) of the Criminal Law of Ondo State, 2006.
In his application, Akintimehin prayed the court to keep the defendant at the correctional centre pending the outcome of advice from the state’s director of public prosecutions.
On her part, the counsel to the defendant, A. Motunrayo, prayed the court to grant her client bail in the most liberal terms, insisting he was innocent.
However, the Chief Magistrate, Musa Al-Yunus, after a thorough view of the case, ordered the remand of the defendant at the correctional center pending the advice from the state director of public prosecutions. He adjourned the case till February 9, 2023.
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