Prophet Abraham Chol has been in detention since July 2021. Photo: Curtesy

Police have dismissed as untrue social media allegations on Sunday that Abraham Chol has died in Juba Central Juba Prison.

Police Spokesperson Major General Daniel Justin told Eye Radio late on Sunday that he called the Prison to confirm that the detained man-of-God is not dead as circulated on social media.

“No no this is not true, what was circulated on social media and we confirmed from the prison administration which they confirmed that he is alive and nothing,” he told Eye Radio.

General Justin said they are working to trace the culprit behind the rumors and urged the general public to dismiss such misinformation.

“We as the police, we are now working hard to find the source who was behind that rumor. I urged the general public to be careful and not to rely on social media, because if there is something we will come and confirm to the public.”

Abraham Chol has been in prison since last year after he was accused of misleading the public, after he made prophesy about President Salva Kiir and his First Deputy Dr. Riek Machar.

The self-proclaimed prophet had announced a premonition that President Kiir and First Vice President Machar would be deposed from their seats by July 9, 2021, on South Sudan Independence Day.

Days after the prophesy, a purported arrest warrant was then issued by a public prosecutor in Central Equatoria state.

The warrant instructed, “Any police personnel on duty to arrest” the leader of the Cush International Church whom it said, “stands charged with the offences under the South Sudan Penal Code.”

The sections talks about; insulting or inciting contempt of religious creed, Abuse of Religious and Noble Beliefs, subverting the constitutional government, causing disaffection among police and defense forces.

Meanwhile, members of his Kuch church also confirmed on Sunday that they just visited Abraham, who according to them is alive and well.

“We would like to correct the rumors spread by page called Wangkom links that Divine father was sick and died in prison … Our father Divine king Abraham is fine and not even sick. We visited him yesterday and today morning,” reads the statement of the Church.

Since his arrest, Chol has not been tried or convicted in a court of law.

Despite the assurances, the condition of Abraham Chol, who had been on hunger strikes, has become an issue of concern, with civil society and the public constantly appealing to the government to release the religious leader, saying he was only exercising his freedom of speech.