Pastor Ezekiel Odero's arrest on Thursday, April 17, was initiated after a local morgue in Kilifi County reported that five bodies were dropped at the facility by the pastor's aides, a police report has revealed.
According to sources privy to the 8-hour grilling at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) office in Mombasa, the bodies were reportedly undocumented - a move that saw police take interest in the matter.
Following the tip, police visited various morgues next to the New Life International Church on separate dates and grilled various morticians over any similar incidents.
During the visits to the morgues, police unearthed a trend where bodies were allegedly dropped at the facilities by church officials.
Following their findings, the officers put the pastor to task over the incidents during the 8-hour grilling.
Sources also indicated that the detectives also wanted to establish why the pastor did not report the said deaths and other life-threatening incidents of his members to the police.
Additionally, the pastor and his lawyer reportedly asked the police to release him on bond - a request that was denied by the police.
Earlier, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki had announced that the pastor was being processed for charges relating to the mass killings of his followers.
The CS added that over 100 people were found at the Kilifi County Church and were assisting the police with their investigations.
"It is notified for information of the general public that today, Thursday, April 27, 2023, Mr Ezekiel Ombok Odero, the Head of New Life Prayer Centre/Church at Mavueni within Malindi Sub-County of Kilifi County, has been arrested and is being processed to face criminal charges related to the mass killing of his followers," he stated.
However, according to Odero's lawyer, Jared Magolo, the police did not have any substantive evidence to charge his client.
He also played down reports that Pastor Ezekiel was linked to Pastor Paul Mackenzie who is being investigated for running a cult in the same County in Shakahola Forest.
"They will release him once they are done with investigations since they have no areas to catch on," he stated.
