WESTERN PROVINCE

KARONGI — Police in Bwishyura in Karongi District are holding four men in connection with the murder of their brother, recently.

Alphonse Nkurikiyimana 38, Marcel Nsengiyunva 46, Michel Gatera 29 and Francois Ndagijimana, 53, all members of the same family, allegedly killed their brother Edward Mutabazi, after a disagreement on land distribution that was left by their father.  

According to the police, the incident happened a few months after another murder case in the same family.

All the suspects and deceased reportedly shared the same father but with different mothers.

Police officials say the body of Mutabazi was retrieved from Lake Kivu with several cuts in the head and back.

However, speaking to The New Times on Tuesday at the police post, the suspects denied the charges, saying the incident happened when they were away.

"I had gone to visit my relatives in Ngororero and two days later I heard news that our brother had been killed. I don’t know anything about his death and I am not the one who killed him,” Ndagijimana said.

The rest of the suspects deny the charges claiming they had all gone out of their homes to visit friends.

A 44- year old woman, who spoke to The New Times, on condition of anonymity because of her security, insisted that the quartet is responsible for the death of their brother.

"I am their long time neighbour and a family friend. This land row has been persisting for long. Their father died last year and left Mutabazi  with a big plot of land but his brothers warned they would kill him if he didn’t give them part of it,” she said.

She added that suspects would regularly repeat the death threats whenever they got drunk.

"This had become their song every time they meet him in the bar. This intimidation made Mutabazi scared but what was behind it is exposed,” she said.

The suspects were to be transferred to Bwishyura Court of Lower Instance, for trial after a 72- hour police custody.  

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