English
Kinyarwanda
Rwanda National Police has called upon the public to always report grievances and illegal acts committed against them instead of taking the law in their own hands.
The message was delivered on December 20 in Kamonyi District during a townhall meeting with residents of Rugarika Sector where residents were also encouraged to work closely with security agencies to ensure that they keep their neighborhood crime-free.
While addressing hundreds of residents, Kamonyi District Community Liaison officer, Inspector of Police (IP) Athanase Niyonagira, pointed that there has been a few cases of people taking the law in their hands and warned that anyone who does so risks being punished by law regardless of committing the offence against a suspect or a wrongdoer.
IP Niyonagira said; “People can always have misunderstanding but no one is allowed to take the law in their hands that’s why we have institutions like the police and the entire judicial sector.”
“Taking law in your hands can lead to vitimising an innocent person or sometime lead to violence and body harm where assault and mob justice involved, this is why we urge you to always report any misunderstanding to the authorities.”
During the meeting, IP Niyonagira gave a lengthy lecture to residents about effects of drug abuse saying that the consumers may not feel immediate effect but the end results is that drugs damage someone’s ability to perform hence affecting his life, the family and the economy.
“Always engage in social dialogue with your neighbor, talk about the effects of these substances and how they affect not only the consumer but even the communities around them. With that approach we will collectively succeed in wiping out drugs in our communities,” said IP Niyonagira
The official in charge of social affairs in Rugarika Sector, Yvonne Gasengayire thanked Rwanda National Police for its outreach programme where residents are equipped with knowledge of keeping their neighborhoods safe.
