Muhanga: Police arrest so-called “prophets” who lied and stole from people

By The Inspirer.

The Rwanda National Police in the Muhanga District has reported the arrest of both men and women traveling from Kigali to the provinces with the intent to steal.

Their tactics included “pretending to be prophets” and praying for people, then deceiving them into handing over money.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Emmanuel Habiyaremye, the spokesperson for the Southern Province Police, said the arrests followed reports from some victims of the thefts.

He explained that the group consisted of three men and two women aged between 36 and 53. They were arrested in the Nyarucyamo village, Gahogo sector, Nyamabuye cell, on the morning of Thursday, January 23, 2025.

SP Habiyaremye said: “We had received information about this group, who live in Kigali but come from different provinces, and travel around deceiving people to steal their belongings using various tricks.”

“They would pose as traditional healers, mixing in prayers, and falsely claim they had special powers. The leader of the group, a 48-year-old man, would first approach the victim, greet them, and then claim that someone had cast a spell on them. He would then say he could heal them. During their conversation, the two women in the group would act as though they were strangers, standing aside while the man continued talking, convincing the person that they needed help. The women would claim to have been cursed and would ask for help from the supposed healer, mentioning the names of those who allegedly cursed them.”  He added.

SP Habiyaremye explained that the group would then ask for money, with the women being the first to request between 50,000 Rwandan Francs and more. Eventually, the victims would give them whatever money they had, while other members of the group would assist in further deceiving the victim.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the group also posed as workers from non-governmental organizations, claiming they could help victims receive aid if they provided a small fee to be added to a list of recipients, only for the money to be stolen.

The police also reported that in the previous month, three other people were arrested in the Muhanga District for similar crimes, having stolen 218,000 Rwandan Francs from a local resident.

Once arrested, the group’s leader admitted that they had deceived many people, using the money they stole to reward themselves and their partners in crime. These activities took place in areas including Nyabugogo, Remera, Kabuga, and other regions across the country.

SP Habiyaremye reminded the public to avoid such fraudulent schemes and encouraged them to engage in honest work. He warned that any attempt to deceive people in this way would not go unpunished and urged people to stay vigilant and cautious when approached by strangers promising help.

The law also stipulates that anyone who fraudulently acquires another person’s property or wealth through deception can face imprisonment from two to three years and a fine between 3 million and 5 million Rwandan Francs.

theinspirerpublications@gmail.com