Man arrested for hiring fire arm

Felecien Ntibaringanira was arrested for allegedly hiring a fire arm

Police in Nyamirambo are holding a man for leasing a firearm at Kigali’s busy business center of Nyabugogo.

Felecien Ntibaringanira, 32 was arrested after hiring a pistol from one of his associates in Muhima sector whose name could not be mentioned as investigations are ongoing.

Ntibaringanira, a tax collector at Murunda market in Nyagatare district hired the firearm at Rwf100, 000 to allegedly kill one of his former colleagues Gilbert Habiyambere after the two developed irreconcilable differences.

According to Ntibaringanira, he had planned to kill Habiyambere because of assaulting him on suspicion that he took his wife. Ntibaringanira said that he had developed severe wounds form Habiyambere’s beatings.

Habiyambere had earlier been arrested but later released as Ntibaringanira requested that he be released thinking that Habiyambere had learnt his lesson. Ntibaringanira claims that despite his arrest and release Habiyambere continued to beat him up.

“I realized that Habiyambere was going to kill me eventually then I decided to look for someone who could lease me a gun so that I can use it to kill him and return it back,” Ntibaringanira said in an interview.

On arriving in Kigali, Ntibaringanira met would be hirer in Nyabugogo where the exchange was made. While leaving they were immediately intercepted by Police but his colleague escaped. Investigations are on going to establish the whereabouts of the criminal.

If convicted, Ntibanyurwa is likely to be sentenced to life imprisonment according to article 140 of the new Penal code.

Police spokesperson, Superintendent Theos Badege said that owning firearms illegally is a serious crime that is heavily punishable by law.

“Those who suffered injustice should not take matters into their own hands but instead seek Police help or even courts of law so that justice can prevail,” Badege said.

While the exact number of people licensed to own personal arms could not be readily established, Badege noted that when one requests to own a fire arm and Police finds the reasons given legitimate it is provided.

He said that the fire arm’s seeker is trained on the usage, provided with proper storage and monitored constantly to establish whether the firearm is used for the stated purposes.

Badege however insisted that there is no reason for one to own a firearm illegally because the country is secure.