Posted by By Astro Jewoola on
Eight years after he was arrested by the Homicide Detectives from the Divisional Police Station, Sango for allegedly killing his aged mother, Madam Adebisi Okanlawon, the Shepherd-In-Charge, Celestial Church of Christ, Ota, Ogun State, Pastor Afolabi Olayinka, 54 is still languishing in prison.
Eight years after he was arrested by the Homicide Detectives from the Divisional Police Station, Sango for allegedly killing his aged mother, Madam Adebisi Okanlawon, the Shepherd-In-Charge, Celestial Church of Christ, Ota, Ogun State, Pastor Afolabi Olayinka, 54 is still languishing in prison.
He is crying out to the state judiciary to speed up his trial.
Olayinka made this appeal to the judiciary last week Friday at Ibara Prison, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
'My trial had been going on since 2001 until last year when I was taken to Ota Magistrate's Court to further prove my innocence.'
Narrating his ordeal, when P.M.News Crime visited the prison, Olayinka said: 'As I could recall, I was arrested in the afternoon of 15 February, 2001 by a team of Homicide detectives from Sango. I was on seven-day fasting and prayer. They came with my younger sister, Felicia Olayinka. They alleged that I had killed my old mother, Madam Adebisi. The police said they needed my presence at the station to obtain my own statement.
'I did not hesitate to follow them to the station, but to my surprise, I was detained and I was not allowed to write my own statement,' he added.
Continuing, he said: 'One- and- half months later, after several beating and torture, I was forced to sign a prepared statement with the connivance of my younger sister, Felicia and transferred to the State Command, Eleweran, Abeokuta where I faced another team of stern-looking men.
He stated that at Eleweran, he was taken to an inner cell where he was fastened to the top of the roof for days without food and water.
'On 27 April, 2001, I was informed that I would be facing a murder charge at Ota Magistrate's Court. There was no bail condition and I was deprived of visitors.
'Since last year till now, nothing had been heard about the trial,' he said.
Speaking with P.M.News Crime, Assistant Comptroller of Ibara Prison, Mr. Bamidele Olanrewaju, said: 'I resumed here on 8 July and I was not happy about the state of the prison which has the capacity for 510 inmates but has about 836 locked up till date.
'The case of Pastor Afolabi Olayinka is a pathetic one. I am afraid his records must have been misplaced during the process of transfer.'
Olayinka is till being remanded at Ibara Prison, Abeokuta.