Siblings of a former Rwandan volleyball player who died last month after he was fatally attacked in a bar have expressed relief following the arrest of the suspect.

"I never really thought they would ever find him,” said Lina Umuhoza, the sister of Faisal Safari, 40, who succumbed to his wounds at CHUK days after the attack in Rubavu District.

Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) announced on Thursday that it had arrested Emmanuel Nsabimana, 35, for allegedly beating and inflicting injuries to the former volleyball star, which they said led to his death.

The suspect is detained at RIB station in Rubavu and, according to Thierry Murangira, the RIB Spokesperson, his case file is being processed for submission to the National Public Prosecution Authority.

"We are waiting for justice to take its course,” said Umuhoza, who added that she and her other brother, Ramadhan Maguru, were at the scene when the attack happened.

"RIB told us that the suspect was looking for a lawyer, but for us it’s a straightforward case because my brother and I and three other people were at the scene of crime when my brother was attacked,” she said.

It is understood that Safari and Nsabimana were more like acquaintances but the latter likely held a grudge against the former Umubano Blue Tigers, College Inyemeramihigo, INATEK, and College Christ Roi Nyanza player.

"They were not really friends but they knew each other and I don’t know why he did what he did to him but we have heard from his friends that he is known to be indisciplined,” she Umuhoza.

Maguru, the deceased’s elder brother, said: "At least we know that he’s behind bars, I cannot explain the grief he’s put us through.”

"I can’t get my head around anything that might have driven him to end my young brother’s life.”

He added, "My brother was a good guy, he just loved to play volleyball and to nurture young talent,” he added. "I’ll forever cherish his memories.”

Following the incident, which reportedly took place at a local bar in Rubavu, Nsabimana is said to have immediately fled the scene before he was tracked down and arrested this week.

He reportedly struck the victim with a broken bottle to the neck, repeatedly, before the latter was rushed to Gisenyi hospital and then to CHUK in Kigali.

The New Times learned that Nsabimana has another pending case in which he’s accused of beating a woman and knocking out her teeth.

During his playing days, Safari was a libero and is regarded as one of the best volleyball players from Rubavu.

He won two national beach volleyball championships, in 2004 and 2005, the interschool title in 2006 with Colleague Christ Roi and then inter-university title in 2012, with UNATEK.

Having obtained a bachelor’s degree at the University of Agricultural Technology and Education of Kibungo (UNATEK), Safari later retired and returned to his hometown Rubavu where he coached youngsters at Rubavu and Inyemeramihigo Secondary School until his death.

If found guilty, Nsabimana could be jailed for up to 20 years.