Police, yesterday, paraded three men arrested in connection with murder and armed robbery. The suspects, Jean Baptiste Semakamba, Eugene Musafiri and Florien Munyaneza are alleged to have shot dead Ismael Bisengimana, a member of District Administrative Security Support Organ (DASSO), as he attempted to stop them from robbing a motorcycle from Nuha Harindintwari, a taxi-moto operator. The incident happened on December 7, in Kacyiru Sector, Gasabo District. Harindintwari, who was shot in the chest, is currently admitted at Kacyiru Police Hospital, according to Police. One of the suspects, Musafiri is said to have hired Harindintwari at around 19hrs and rode towards Kamatamu cell in Kacyiru Sector. As soon as they reached Semakamba, Munyaneza and Musafiri ordered the motorist to stop and suddenly a scuffle ensued between the four, according to Police. Semakamba said he had bought the pistol used in the murder from Bugesera at Rwf200, 000. The gun had seven bullets and I used three of them, Semakamba, a demobilised soldier told reporters. According to eyewitness, Olivier Nishimwe— a member of DASSO —the robbers shot his colleague and the motorist before they fled the scene. “Semakamba who I think was the ringleader ordered Musafiri to shoot the motorist, which he did but the bullet went through the chest without damaging any organ,” said Nishimwe. The gunshot attracted other members of local security personnel and other motocyclists, who tried to run after the robbers in vain. Police Spokesperson ACP Celestin Twahirwa, explained that the suspects abandoned the motorcycle along the way, fearing they were about to be caught. Semakamba and Musafiri were arrested in Rulindo and Nyabihu districts, respectively, as they fled while Munyaneza was arrested from his home in Kigali. Celestin Ntagambwa, the president of the Federation of Rwanda Commuter Taxi Motorcyclists, commended Police for ensuring that the suspects are apprehended and brought to book. “In the last two weeks we only had one incident of motorcycle robbery. While in two months Police have recovered six out of ten stolen motorcycles,” Police last month paraded eight suspects, who were arrested in a crackdown against motorcycle theft.
