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Kinyarwanda
Two people in Matimba Sector, Nyagatare District, were arrested as they attempted to traffic a 19 year-old girl to Uganda.
The suspects - Nadia Ingabire, 30, and Theogene Mutabazi, 38 - were stopped by Police officers at Kagitumba border post on Tuesday August 18, together with the victim, whom they had apparently coerced into traveling without informing her parents.
The suspects are currently held at Matimba Police as investigations continue, while the girl – who is a secondary school student – was by press time set to be reunited with her family after undergoing medical and counseling services.
The Police Spokesperson for Eastern Region, Inspector of Police (IP) Emmanuel Kayigi, said preliminary investigations have revealed that Mutabazi intended to turn the victim into a house-wife.
The victim was connected to Mutabazi by Ingabire.
“The two suspects planned to help each other out; whereby Mutabazi would assist Ingabire to locate the whereabouts of her husband who had abandoned his family and left for Uganda, while she would in turn find him a suitable young wife,” IP Kayigi said.
“The young girl was known to Ingabire; so she lured her to travel to Uganda without the consent of her parents or friends. But security personel at their border post got concerned and intercepted them. The parents have already been informed and they are much relieved that their daughter is safe.”
IP Kayigi noted that victims of human trafficking often do not know the dangers that awaits them ahead until they have crossed the border where they are forced into slavery activities like sexual exploitation and hard labour.
“Human trafficking is a modern-day slavery, whereby, victims are lured into believing that they are headed for well off jobs but end up in a dark world where they are stripped of their autonomy, freedom of movement and choice, and face various forms of physical and mental abuse,” he noted.
“Therefore, if there is any suspicion of human trafficking, immediately report by giving timely information to Police on toll free lines 112 and 3512 in order to facilitate instant response and rescue.”
“Rwanda National Police enjoys good cross border working relations with regional and international police institutions to fight such acts against humanity, and anyone with information of people that could be trapped in similar misery are urged to come forward so that those victims are rescued.”
RNP installed INTERPOL’s communication system called I-24/7 to all border posts, which connects law enforcement agencies in Interpol member-countries to share timely information on any human trafficking suspects or victims, as well as on other cross border crimes.
