Mrs Modupe Kolawole is the mother of a one-year-old boy, Gold Kolawole, who went missing during a church service at So Titobi Re Praising Chapel in Akure, Ondo State recently. In this interview with PETER DADA, the mother speaks about the disappearance of her son.
Are you a member of So Titobi Re Praising Chapel or were you a visitor at the church your child went missing recently?
I am a member of the church; that is the church my family and I attend. We started attending the church this year.
It was learnt that your boy got missing in the children’s department of the church; what do you know about the incident?
Initially, I was not taking my child to the children’s section of the church but they kept asking me to bring him there. I felt he was too small to be left there as he had not even started walking. That Sunday, I decided to take my child to the children’s section; I felt that if he saw other children walking, it could propel him to start walking soon. I registered him there and his number on the list was 87.
Did you hand him over to any caregiver?
No, but there were many adults taking care of children there and since I had registered him, I believed there should be no problem. That is the essence of the registration. But after an hour, I went back to check on him and did not see him where I left him earlier. They had changed his position. I also saw my child holding snacks, so I challenged them. I asked why they should give my child something to eat when I had put biscuits and juice in his bag.
I told the head of the children’s department not to give him anything to eat again, and that there was nothing he wanted that was not in his bag. When it was about 11.45am, I went back to the children church and couldn’t find my child again. I started shouting and searching everywhere. They told me to look for him among other children in the crèche of the church. Someone among the workers even said someone had probably taken him out to play and I said I didn’t have any friend in the church who could take him out without my consent. I asked why they would allow an unknown person to take another person’s child out of the church.
Did you report the matter to the pastor or the head the security of the church?
Yes, I did. When it about 5pm and the service ended, I reported the matter to pastor (Prophet Samuel Babatunde). He said they would find him (the missing boy). He told me and my husband to return home and sleep and that we should not make any noise about it. He insisted that the boy would be found. Later I called my sister and reported everything to her. She rushed down from Ondo town to Akure and we all started looking for him. I went to the pastor to remind him that my child got missing in his church and he said we would found him but up till then, we had not seen him.
Do you suspect any foul play in the matter?
I just don’t understand them in the church. When it was 3pm, I was still searching and the ushers in the church were just looking at me as if they were not concerned about it. Later they were asked about the missing boy and all the ushers claimed they went out at that time. How is it possible for 14 ushers to go out at the same time? After they saw my reaction, they went to inform the pastor, who assured that the child would be found.
Shortly after, I met a man I cannot recognise again. The man told me to take the issue more seriously. He alleged that someone in the church was planning to use seven children for rituals. The man told me that while prayer session was going on that Sunday, he saw a senior member of the church leaving the church for the children’s church and one of the ushers took a boy who wore blue clothes out but that he didn’t know if the boy taken out was mine. Later, my sister laid her hands on my husband and prayed for us, then I started gaining consciousness.
The police said you did not report that matter officially at the police station, why?
We reported the case at B Division Police Station (Akure) and I went back to the church in tears to meet Prophet Babatunde. He still assured us that the boy was around and that whoever took him would return him. He then called one Inspector Abdul, who asked us to wait for 24 hours. Later, the pastor (Babatunde) called his Personal Assistant to give inspector Abdul N20,000 and that the inspector would understand.
So what do you want?
All I want is my child. In fact, if I see my child, I will end the case. Whether he (Prophet Babatunde) knows about it or not, he should do something about it. The church and the pastor should help me look for my child because he is my only child. I also appeal to the government and Nigerians to help me find my child.
Are you a member of So Titobi Re Praising Chapel or were you a visitor at the church your child went missing recently?
I am a member of the church; that is the church my family and I attend. We started attending the church this year.
It was learnt that your boy got missing in the children’s department of the church; what do you know about the incident?
Initially, I was not taking my child to the children’s section of the church but they kept asking me to bring him there. I felt he was too small to be left there as he had not even started walking. That Sunday, I decided to take my child to the children’s section; I felt that if he saw other children walking, it could propel him to start walking soon. I registered him there and his number on the list was 87.
Did you hand him over to any caregiver?
No, but there were many adults taking care of children there and since I had registered him, I believed there should be no problem. That is the essence of the registration. But after an hour, I went back to check on him and did not see him where I left him earlier. They had changed his position. I also saw my child holding snacks, so I challenged them. I asked why they should give my child something to eat when I had put biscuits and juice in his bag.
I told the head of the children’s department not to give him anything to eat again, and that there was nothing he wanted that was not in his bag. When it was about 11.45am, I went back to the children church and couldn’t find my child again. I started shouting and searching everywhere. They told me to look for him among other children in the crèche of the church. Someone among the workers even said someone had probably taken him out to play and I said I didn’t have any friend in the church who could take him out without my consent. I asked why they would allow an unknown person to take another person’s child out of the church.
Did you report the matter to the pastor or the head the security of the church?
Yes, I did. When it about 5pm and the service ended, I reported the matter to pastor (Prophet Samuel Babatunde). He said they would find him (the missing boy). He told me and my husband to return home and sleep and that we should not make any noise about it. He insisted that the boy would be found. Later I called my sister and reported everything to her. She rushed down from Ondo town to Akure and we all started looking for him. I went to the pastor to remind him that my child got missing in his church and he said we would found him but up till then, we had not seen him.
Do you suspect any foul play in the matter?
I just don’t understand them in the church. When it was 3pm, I was still searching and the ushers in the church were just looking at me as if they were not concerned about it. Later they were asked about the missing boy and all the ushers claimed they went out at that time. How is it possible for 14 ushers to go out at the same time? After they saw my reaction, they went to inform the pastor, who assured that the child would be found.
Shortly after, I met a man I cannot recognise again. The man told me to take the issue more seriously. He alleged that someone in the church was planning to use seven children for rituals. The man told me that while prayer session was going on that Sunday, he saw a senior member of the church leaving the church for the children’s church and one of the ushers took a boy who wore blue clothes out but that he didn’t know if the boy taken out was mine. Later, my sister laid her hands on my husband and prayed for us, then I started gaining consciousness.
The police said you did not report that matter officially at the police station, why?
We reported the case at B Division Police Station (Akure) and I went back to the church in tears to meet Prophet Babatunde. He still assured us that the boy was around and that whoever took him would return him. He then called one Inspector Abdul, who asked us to wait for 24 hours. Later, the pastor (Babatunde) called his Personal Assistant to give inspector Abdul N20,000 and that the inspector would understand.
So what do you want?
All I want is my child. In fact, if I see my child, I will end the case. Whether he (Prophet Babatunde) knows about it or not, he should do something about it. The church and the pastor should help me look for my child because he is my only child. I also appeal to the government and Nigerians to help me find my child.
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