Rwanda National Police

A driver was arrested Friday in Bumbogo Sector of Gasabo District smoking cannabis while driving.

Francois Ngayaberuye was arrested during a security operation conducted by Bumbogo Police station.

Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Andre Nzeyimana, the station commander for Bumbogo said that they also recovered pellets of cannabis in his vehicle.

Ngayaberuye, however, argued that the pellets belong to passengers, who were in the car.

He claimed that the alleged passengers escaped on seeing the Police, but couldn't explain the coincidence of smoking cannabis and finding the pellets in his vehicle.

AIP Nzeyimana said Ngayaberuye was handed over to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) for further investigation.

Abuse of illicit drugs, beside being criminal, is one of the causes of road accidents.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie Gorette Umutesi, the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, warned against such "criminal and dangerous behaviours on road."

"We are in the 52 weeks road safety campaign and one of the human behaviours causing accidents we are trying to address is the abuse of drugs by motorists," CIP Umutesi said.

The year-long national Gerayo Amahoro (arrive safely) campaign aims at changing human behaviors and reducing road accidents as they take many lives. At least one person dies in road crashes every day.