Rwanda National Police

The fight and awareness against illicit firearms and explosives has been on for years now.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) says this campaign has yeilded positive results, thanks to the public's commendable step to own the exercise to report these dangerous weapons.

On Sunday, two people in Ngoma district, after discovering an old tortoise grenade and pistol, immediately informed Police in the area, who came and took them.

One of those who reported these dangerous weapons is an 18-year old girl who discovered the grenade as she was playing.

The teen was also wise enough to mark the scene with a red cloth before rushing to inform the Police, which is always a recommended method to also warn the public of such dangerous areas.

"Most of these illicit weapons recovered were either reported by people who find them as they are farming or surrendered voluntarily," Senior Superintendent (SSP) Bénoit Nsengiyumva, the Police spokesperson in the Eastern region, said.

"The population is responding positively to not only surrendering firearms but also in alerting concerned authorities of their whereabouts," he added.

He, however, appealed to the public for continued collaboration to report these lweapons to be disposed off to avoid harming them.

SSP Nsengiyumva also reminded that there is no criminal liability to any person, who surrenders a weapon voluntarily or provides information about its whereabouts.

He also advised the community not to touch any suspecious object,instead, report it to security organs and other concerned authorities.