Police in Uganda arrested a female pastor and two of her friends. They were accused of illegally letting 18 people stay at their leased home in Nakuwadde Village, Bulenga, Wakiso District so that they could "pray and worship."
Sources say that Pastor Jackline Kisoma, her husband Daniel Kisoma, and 48-year-old Edward Giita held the 18 in terrible conditions, not letting them leave or go to the hospital when they got sick.
Additionally, they refused to permit them to leave the facility when they became ill.
The Daily Monitor talked to the police, who said that the suspects "preferred to spend every moment of the day and night praising God, singing, and studying the Bible."
Pastor Kisoma is said to have told the victims that going to school was a waste of time which led them to drop out and join her group. The police say that this caused the victims to join her group and stop going to school.
"The house also functioned as a worship centre for the trio's unlicensed religious cult," said the police, claiming that the three suspects had pulled their eight children out of school.
"The residence also served as a worship centre for the couple's unregulated cult," stated the police.
After learning that her daughter Martha Adulu, 21, had left St. Francis Nursing School two months earlier during a visit from her mother, who went to see her at the school, an investigation was opened.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Anti-Human Trafficking Department (Anti-Human Trafficking) worked together to find and save the detainees, including Adulu.
"Ms Adulu was tracked down to Nakuwadde Village, where her three other nursing school classmates, Amina Nakiganda Kwagala, 23, Angel Nampera, 19, and Favour Nagita, 18, were found," the report said.
"Ms Adulu's whereabouts were later determined to have been in Nakuwadde Village."
More students from the St. Francis Nursing School in the Namataba-Mukono area who were forced to quit school have been found.
In addition, it was found out that Edward Giita's wife as well as his three children were some of the people who were being held.
In addition, Pastor Kisoma's five children, all of whom were less than 12 years old, were discovered.
This is the predicament that many people who have been victimised by religious cults find themselves in.
According to the police, "they see the leadership as a god-like figure, and they are afraid of opposing them."
The vast majority of those who have been abused are now participating in therapy and rehabilitation programmes "to establish or rule out the possibility of physical harassment.
While they wait for instructions from the Directorate of Public Prosecution, the suspects are being looked into for human trafficking and illegal imprisonment.
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