The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) is investigating the death of John Nshimyumukiza, a 23-year-old student of the University of Technology and Arts of Byumba (UTAB), whose body was found hanging on a fence neighbouring to his residence, on Friday, April 7. Preliminary findings suggested that he committed suicide. But his father, Azariah Nsengumuremyi, told The New Times that he does not think that is the case. “He did not have any mental health issues. He was a boy with good character, and even his neighbours had a good report about him,” he said. Nsengumuremyi said he learned about his son’s death on Friday morning. “On Thursday evening I talked to him on the phone. He was at his residence. At about 10pm, during the night, I called him again but no one was picking. At 4am in the morning they called us and told us he was dead and that his body was hanging on a fence near his residence,” he said. “When I arrived there, I realised the fence was high and it was not possible for a person to hang himself on it,” he said, before noting that he suspects that his son was killed. On Friday evening, Nshimyumukiza had written to his friends a message that suggested that he had been kidnapped, asking them to call his father. Nsengumuremyi says they tried to call him but the phone was off. “Many people called me in the morning and told me that John had asked them to call me. He had posted the message on his status,” Nsengumuremyi said. RIB told The New Times that investigations are ongoing. A post-mortem was also carried out on Nshimyumukiza’s body but its results are not yet out.
