Man blames drug abuse for son’s suicide

A 25-year-old man from Bugesera District was on Wednesday found hanging on a rope, with the father of the deceased saying it was suicide induced by wasting away in drug abuse.

Friday, November 08, 2013

A 25-year-old man from Bugesera District was on Wednesday found hanging on a rope, with the father of the deceased saying it was suicide induced by wasting away in drug abuse.The body of Yohana Ntawuhiganayo, a resident of Kagarama Village in Mareba Sector, was found hanging by the rope in his house.Jean Pierre Nduwamungu said his son was a drug abuser and never clear-headed.He added Ntawuhiganayo had just been released from prison, where he served one month, after he was convicted of drug use."My son was one of the youth spoilt by drugs. He smoked marijuana and looked mad most of the time. He has been in trouble with Police and courts often sent him to jail because of smoking marijuana,” Nduwamungu said.Before the suicide, Ntawuhiganayo had tried to hack his parents, according to his father, who added that during the assault, they had to run to a neighbour’s home for safety."That he hanged himself is sad and gives us bad moment as parents, but it’s no big surprise to me. His next home was Rilima Prison. He took life for granted and never had a future.”Jean Pierre Rwiririza, the area Executive Secretary, and Police warned residents against suicide tendencies."It is a sign of failure to take one’s life. If you feel you can’t get solutions to your problems, seek advice from friends. It is absolutely wrong to resort to drug use,” he said while addressing mourners.Men held over military hardwareMeanwhile, four men have been detained at Sake Police Station after they were caught attempting to sell military uniform and an assault rifle.The suspects were arrested after a tip-off by residents in Jarama Sector of Ngoma District on Wednesday.Thomas Sinayigaye, a local leader, said residents became suspicious when they saw one of their neighbours selling army uniforms and reported the matter to security."We are grateful for the security-conscious people in our community, they reported in time. The clothes and the gun would be used to terrorise and steal in our sector and beyond,” he said.Jean Marie Njangwe, the Eastern Region Police spokesman, confirmed the arrests, saying investigations were going on."We are trying to establish how the suspects acquired military uniform and a gun. The crime involving military uniform and a gun is a big one, but we shall follow the procedures,” Njangwe said.