Police in Gicumbi District have arrested a man, who has been on the run after allegedly killing his mother earlier this week in Nyamasheke District.

Police say Emmanuel Niyokwizera, alias Kwizera, 24, was arrested in Gihembe refugee camp, where he was hiding.

He is accused along with his young brother, identified as Abel Tuyisabe, of murdering their 45-year old mother last Sunday night due to family conflicts.

Tuyisabe was arrested the following morning after the murder.

How it unfolded

It is said that the deceased separated from her husband five years ago following bitter wrangles and she went back to her parents in Nyamasheke, along with two of their five children.

The husband later relocated Nyagatare District, where he married another wife.

Niyokwizera headed to Kigali to look for a job while Tuyisabe remained at his parents’ home alone.Niyokwizera apparently went to visit his mother about two weeks ago, Police say.

"When he reached there, Niyokwizera demanded that she gives him Rwf400, 000 to pursue his driver’s licence, which she didn’t have; he then demanded that she sells her portion of the family property to raise the money which she also declined,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Celestin Twahirwa, Police spokesperson, said.

"On the fateful day, Niyokwizera allegedly lied to his deceased mother that he was returning to Kigali but it is suspected that he remained in the neighbourhood until late in the night when he returned and killed his mother after breaking into the house with the help of his young brother, who was at the time at his mother’s place,” he added.

Earlier that day, Niyokwizera was supposed to appear before local leaders in the area over a case in which he allegedly assaulted a resident while they were in a bar the previous night, but he never showed up.

The deceased was found in a pool of blood the following morning after residents raised concern and asked Tuyisabe who broke the sad news that her mother had been killed by unknown people.

"Following the gruesome murder, Police launched investigations and, fortunately, a child in the family where Niyokwizera was hiding in Gihembe camp, read the story in the media and immediately alerted Police,” said ACP Twahirwa.

He thanked the child for the "brave act” but appealed to the general public to be an eye for neighbours and allert the authorities about families that could be facing domstic disputes for quick action to prevent likely violence.

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