Roughly six months after he was arrested on suspicion that he was involved with a starvation death cult, the case against Kenyan pastor and televangelist Ezekiel Odero has been dismissed.
Odero, the pastor of New Life Prayer Centre and Church, was arrested in April for “allegations of deaths that have been occurring at his premises and reported in various morgues or institutions.” At the time, police believed that he may have been connected to death cult leader Paul Makenzie Nthenge, who was arrested earlier that same month.
Police say Nthenge allegedly encouraged followers to starve themselves to death so they could “meet Jesus.” After Nthenge was arrested, authorities began exhuming bodies from his property in the Shakahola forest of the coastal county of Kilifi. By August, they had determined the death toll was at least 427.
Nthenge currently faces charges of cruelty toward children, kidnapping and murder, and terrorism. Most of his victims died of starvation but investigators have said that some were suffocated, strangled, or beaten to death.
RELATED: Christian Families in Laos Evicted from Their Village
Nthenge was taken into custody after police raided his Good News International Church upon receiving a local tip that Nthenge was engaging in cult-like practices and encouraging his followers to fast to the point of starvation and death. Police discovered 15 victims. Though 11 survived, they were severely emaciated.
Roughly two weeks later, Odero was arrested on suspicion that the bodies of some of his own followers, who had died waiting for Odero to miraculously heal their ailments, were buried on Nthenge’s land.
Odero had been accused of conspiracy to commit murder and aid suicide, abduction, radicalization, genocide, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud, and money laundering. However, formal charges had yet to be filed.
RELATED: As Death Toll Mounts in Kenya Church, Local Clergy Wonder at Scale of Indoctrination
Police originally requested that the court remand Odero into custody for 30 days while they conducted their investigation. However, according to Nation, they were only granted seven days. After that, Odero was released on a bail of 1.5 million Kenyan shillings (roughly $10,000).