THREE people have been arrested in connection with last week’s grenade attack in Nyabugogo, a busy trading hub in the capital Kigali.The explosion, which occurred just before 7p.m, last Friday, near a popular abattoir, also saw another 31 people hurt in the process.As police step up efforts to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book, this incident should also act as a reminder that we need to be more security conscious. As individuals we should step up vigilance at the personal level to avert such evil plans. Apart from being watchful of the neighbourhoods and suspicious characters, the public should also look out for abandoned items including bags, cars, boxes, unexpected gifts, mails and parcels, abandoned suitcases and trash cans. The list may also include radios, cameras, mobile phones, televisions and any other items with loose wires attached to them. In the event you see any of these in your area alert police or nearest authorities.Buses and commuter taxi owners and operators should put in place enhanced access control and internal security measures both in the parks, and in the vehicles. At the entrance to public buildings, including shopping malls, guards should use metal detectors, to help detect possible intrusion of explosive materials like grenades.Last week’s incident is an act of terrorism targeted at innocent people. We should not allow pockets of criminals to hold us at ransom. These criminal elements work to instill a sense of fear in people and to make normal life a nightmare. As police have advised, the public should indeed remain calm and conduct their usual businesses as investigations continue to bring to justice all those responsible for the cowardice act. Let us collaborate with security organs in providing any information that would help in averting similar incidents in the future.
