Man killed in wrangle

HUYE–Residents of Berwa village, Tumba sector, in Huye District are in shock and disbelief following the death of a 30-year old man who succumbed to injuries sustained after allegedly being bludgeoned with a hammer on the back of his head. The incident took place on Monday evening, according to eye witnesses.A 32-year old suspect is currently detained at Rango Police Post as investigations into the gruesome murder continue.When The New Times visited the area early on Tuesday, Police officers were busy examining the crime scene that was littered with blood stains, four metres from where the body of the deceased was reportedly found.Later, a security meeting that brought together Huye District officials took place. “We are saddened by what happened. Our reputation as residents of this village is stained,” lamented Jean Makemeza, a resident.Unconfirmed reports indicate that the deceased might have been killed as he attempted to quell a quarrel involving two men fighting over a hammer, which ironically, eventually became the murder weapon.“I saw the individuals openly quarrelling over a hammer. The deceased had it and declined to hand it over to the suspect. After a while, they all left together and we thought they were going home. However, within minutes I heard a strange and distressful sound,” testified one, Emmanuel Nkurunziza, at the meeting. “Then I saw the suspect leaving the scene alone.” The suspect was thereafter arrested by residents who handed him over to Police.According to other witness accounts, the trio had been drinking together at a bar located approximately 15 metres from the scene of the crime.Speaking to The New Times from Rango Police Post, the suspect, who is a mason, claimed to have been acting in self defence.“The two men seized my hammer and started choking me. One of them even punched me on the mouth which made me very angry,” the accused, who was draped in a blood-stained blue pair of jeans, narrated. “I grabbed a stick and hit him [Nsengimana]. I did not know he was dead until after my arrest, it was just an accident.”Following the death, which local leaders mainly attributed to excessive alcoholic consumption, residents were urged to drink responsibly.Huye Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Affairs, Cyprien Mutwarasibo, ordered an immediate closure of all bars in the area, which he said, were trading in illicit brew.Security sources said they found traces of Nyirantare, a local brew, in a bar the trio were said to have drinking from on the ill-fated day.

National

Man killed in wrangle