Pastor cons 290 students, on the run

Regina Muragijimana (accountant) at Kicukiro Police Station

Police are searching for a Methodist Church Pastor attached to Kacyiru diocese who conned 290 students on promises of meeting their education expenses.

Pastor Ezekiel Niyoniringiye and one Jean Claude Nsengimana, who is also still on the run, are said to have created a ghost charity organization, ‘Rwanda Youth at Work Cooperation,’ said to be helping vulnerable students cater for all their education expenses.

Each of the students was required to pay 5, 000 Rwandan francs as registration fee, either paid on the provided bank account or at the created office in Karambo, Gatenga Sector in Kicukiro District.

So far, one person Regina Muragijimana, 28, who was the accountant of the Ghost charity organization has been arrested and is currently held at Kicukiro Police Station.

Muragijimana however, denied knowing that she was working for the organization that never existed or a fraudster.

She noted that she never met the Pastor since she was given the job early December, last year.

“I was told by Nsengimana that we were working for Pastor Niyoniringiye, who I never saw for all the time I worked there,” she explained.

According to students, they were later given letters, which were allegedly addressed to the head teachers in the respective schools where they had been allocated.

However, students opened the envelopes, signed by the said Pastor, which stressed that his organization would pay the tuition in June.

On suspicion that they had been conned, the students reported the matter to police.

Police Spokesperson, Supt Theos Badege noted that economic and property crimes have ‘decreased tremendously,’ due to public awareness campaigns initiated by the police and tracking down the culprits.

“We acknowledged the partnership with the public, which has seen many people dealing in such criminal acts arrested,” he said.

He urged them to be responsible and beware of such acts and report suspicious dealers, adding that “It is a matter of time for the pastor to be arrested, like many others who deal in such criminal acts.” He said.