Rusizi: Five people arrested for severely injuring five cows

By The Inspirer 

In Rusizi District, Butare Sector, five people have been arrested on suspicion of mutilating five cows belonging to local residents.

The incident occurred in Butanda Cell, Buganzo Village.

The affected cattle owners told Imvaho Nshya that the cows were brutally attacked, as they found that most of their tails had been cut off. In some cases, the mutilation extended to the cows’ hindquarters. The perpetrators even split some tails in two, taking parts with them while leaving others behind.

Eric Icyoyanditse, a 24-year-old resident, recounted:
“I woke up in the morning to go collect fodder for the cows, as I have one of my own and another belongs to my family. My mother, who had also woken up early, told me that she had found a cow’s tail at the entrance to our living room. Since I had used the back door, I hadn’t seen it. […] When we checked, we found that my bull’s tail had been almost entirely cut off.”

He added that as they were still discussing the incident at home, word quickly spread that four other cows in the same village had suffered similar attacks.

The affected families reported the incident to the village authorities, leading to a meeting with sector leadership and security agencies at the district level to address the issue.

The Executive Secretary of Butare Sector, Jean Pierre Ntawizera, confirmed that several suspects had been arrested, including an individual known for misconduct.

“Among those arrested is a man notorious for being a troublemaker in the area. He has been sent to a transit center five times due to his bad behavior. He had allegedly stated in a bar on March 7 that many people in this cell would be arrested that day.”

Ntawizera added, “He and his suspected accomplices were immediately apprehended and are now being held at the RIB (Rwanda Investigation Bureau) station in Kamembe for further investigation.”

He urged residents to remain patient as justice takes its course and assured them that the sector leadership would ensure that the injured cows receive medical treatment.

Authorities have also called on the community to refrain from actions that disrupt public order and to report any suspicious behavior that could lead to criminal activities.