GATSIBO - Police in Gatsibo District Tuesday night seized a truck carrying 61 sacks of government-donated fertilisers.

According to Police, the truck, belonging to Rwanda Seed Company (RWASECO), was transporting fertilisers from Kiziguro sector to an unknown destination.

Also arrested and detained at Kiramuruzi Police Post in connection with the fertilisers was the head of RWASECO, Alphonse Rudasingwa.

Rwanda Seed Company has been helping Gatsibo farmers on the right application of the fertilisers. "We first impounded the truck and arrested its driver, but we have also managed to arrest the head of the company,” a Police official said.

Bernard Udahemuka, the Kiziguro Sector Agricultural Officer, said it was shocking to hear that RWASECO was transporting fertilisers without the knowledge of local authorities.

"The company has been working as a development partner in helping our residents to apply fertilisers and seed germination techniques. We were very shocked to hear that they were illegally transporting some of the fertilisers to other areas without informing local authorities in the district. This is an act of robbery,” he said.

According Udahemuka, no one is allowed to transport fertilisers from one village to another. "There has been a clear directive from the Ministry [of Agriculture] that no one should be allowed to transport fertilisers from one place to another,” he said.

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