The Rongo Magistrate Court in Migori County has granted a 21-day detention for four individuals, including two directors of a church, as investigators delve into the chilling mystery surrounding the death and secret burial of a GSU officer within a church compound.

Michael Kus Onyango and Luka Ochieng, directors of the St. Joseph Mission of Messiah in Africa Limited Church, along with Everline Gemamo and Lilian Atieno Olal, will remain in custody at Kamagambo Police Station. The court’s decision followed an application by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), citing ongoing investigations into the death of Police Constable Adan Ayoo.

Ayoo reportedly died under suspicious circumstances on March 27, 2025, and was buried the next day within the church’s grounds in Rongo Sub-County, Migori County—without his family’s or employer’s knowledge or consent.

“This is not just about the cause of death; it is also about ensuring that the law was not circumvented in both health compliance and burial procedures,” said Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Mercelle Ikol, who, along with Prosecution Counsel Juliet Ombogo, represented the State.

The ODPP has also filed a separate application seeking permission to exhume the officer’s body, aiming to establish the cause of death through a postmortem at Migori County Referral Hospital.

“The burial was conducted in complete secrecy. We must establish whether this was a cover-up or a case of negligence,” Ikol emphasized, urging the court to allow room for a thorough inquiry.

Investigators are also looking into whether the church violated Public Health Act provisions during the burial.

The court has scheduled May 27, 2025, for directions on the exhumation application and set June 12, 2025, for further mention of the criminal case.

As the church compound now doubles as a crime scene, questions linger among residents and observers: What really happened to Constable Ayoo—and why was he buried in silence?