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BBC Pidgin of Sunday, 23 April 2023

Source: BBC

How police find 21 deadbodies afta investigation into 'starvation cult'

Police for Kenya don dig-out 21 deadi body near di coastal town of Malindi Police for Kenya don dig-out 21 deadi body near di coastal town of Malindi

Police for Kenya don dig-out 21 deadi body near di coastal town of Malindi.

Dis na as dem investigate one preacher wey dem hear say tell im followers to starve to death.

Dead pikin dem dey among di pipo wey dem dig out, and police say dem bin expect to find even more deadi body.

Di shallow graves dey for Shakahola forest, wia dem rescue 15 members of di Good News International Church last week.

Preacher Paul Mackenzie Nthenge dey for police custody, pending wen im go showface for court.

State broadcaster KBC describe am as a "cult leader", dem report say 58 graves na im dem don identify so far.

One of di graves dey believed to contain di deadibody of five members of di same family - three children and dia parents.

Mackenzie don deny wrongdoing, but dem refuse am bail. Im insist say im shut down im church for 2019.

Tori be say di cult leader na im cari imsef go meet police and dem charge am last month afta two pikin dem starve to death while dem dey wit di papa and mama.

Dem bin release am on bail of 100,000 Kenyan shillings ($750 or €670).

Im allegedly tell followers to starve demsefs in order to "meet Jesus".

"Since Thursday, we get 21 bodies," Police source tell di AFP news agency on Friday.

"We neva even scratch di surface wey give a clear indication say we dey likely to get more bodies by di end of dis operation," di source tok.

Di Kenyan daily The Standard say pathologists go take DNA samples and conduct tests to determine weda di victims die of starvation.

Police arrest Mackenzie on 15 April afta dem discover di bodies of four pipo wey dem suspect say dem starve to death.

Victor Kaudo of di Malindi Social Justice Centre tell Citizen TV "wen we dey inside dis forest and come to one area wia we see a big and tall cross, we know say e mean say dem don bury more dan five pipo for dia".

Di preacher allegedly name three villages Nazareth, Bethlehem and Judea and baptise followers for ponds bifore im go tell dem to fast, The Standard tok.

Kenya na religious kontri and cases like dis wia dem dey use wayo lead pipo into dangerous churches or cults wey dem no dey regulate.