Detained Gospel artist found dead in police cell

Rwanda police have confirmed that gospel singer, Kizito Mijigo, has been found dead in a police cell after three days in detention.

The singer was caught some days ago during an attempted escape from the country alongside two other men during the process.

Kizito was banned from leaving Rwanda without permission because of a previous conviction.

Police charged him with corruption and illegal border crossing, local media reported.

A statement shared on social media by police spokesman JB Kabeera said Mihigo's body was found during a routine check by officers at Remera police station on Monday morning. The spokesman gave no further details.

"I was there, I saw him. Villagers who stopped him said he was trying to cross to Burundi using illegal roads. From here to the border it's less than five minutes' walk," the resident, who declined to be named, a resident in the south-western Nyaruguru district told BBC Great Lakes that on Thursday.

The Rwanda Investigation Bureau accused the singer of attempting to bribe people who had seen him.

Rwandan Government VS Kizito

In 2015, the singer was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of planning to kill President Paul Kagame and inciting hatred against the government.

He was pardoned by the president in 2018 on condition that he only leaves the country with judicial permission.

Mihigo was once close to the governing Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party. He is a survivor of the 1994 genocide and is well known for his reconciliation work and religious songs.

BBC