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Police detain 27 people confined inside church over suspected cultism
According to police, the group was found confined inside a church in Changamwe, where they had allegedly been living under disturbing conditions.
What you need to know:
- The group was found confined inside a church in Changamwe, where they had allegedly been living under disturbing conditions.
- The victims were rescued and taken to Changamwe Police Station for questioning as officers continue investigations into the matter.
Police in Changamwe Sub-county, Mombasa, are holding 27 people, including children, believed to be members of a suspected religious extremist group.
According to police, the group was found confined inside a church in Changamwe, where they had allegedly been living under disturbing conditions, cut off from the outside world.
Addressing the media at the station on Monday, Changamwe Sub-county Police Commander Patrick Gogo said officers acted on a tip-off from the public that a woman had withdrawn her children from school and locked them inside the church, denying them access to education and were not allowed to seek medical attention when they fell ill.
“We received information from the public that a woman had pulled her children out of school and confined them in the church. On Friday and Monday, we stormed the premises and found 27 people, seven women and 20 children aged between two and fifteen years,” said Mr Gogo.
He said all the victims were rescued and taken to Changamwe Police Station for questioning as officers continue investigations into the group’s activities.
“We want to establish exactly what they have been doing there. Some of the children are of school-going age and should be sitting for their Kenya Junior school education assessment (KJSEA), but they were locked away,” he added.
The police commander said the 27 appeared to be living in poor conditions.
“We found them in a sad state, sleeping on the floor without mosquito nets. You know how this region is infested with mosquitoes, keeping them in such a state only exposes them to disease,” he said.
Mr Gogo said police were yet to establish how long the group had been staying at the church.
He added that the first breakthrough came on Friday when officers rescued a woman and three children, who later led them to the others.
Police have since summoned the church’s management and pastors for questioning, but none has come forward.
The commander urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious gatherings, warning against falling prey to radical religious teachings.
“It is normal for Christians to attend overnight prayers on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays,” he said. “However, people should be cautious and avoid joining extremist groups that could mislead them. We do not want a repeat of tragedies like what happened in Shakahola where over 400 people lost their lives or Kwa Binzaro in Kilifi County.”
The rescued individuals are being profiled as investigations continue.
