RIB arrests Burikantu for unlawful confinement
Abdoulkarim Mwitende, widely known on social media as Burikantu, has been arrested on charges of illegally confining individuals at his residence.
According to the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Burikantu was taken into custody on July 20, 2025, after he allegedly locked up several girls who had visited him at his home to discuss possible collaborations on social media content.
Reports indicate that Burikantu invited one of the girls into his room to discuss how he could help her advance her online career, but she refused his request. Angered by her rejection, Burikantu allegedly locked all the girls inside his house, demanding that they pay him back the money he had spent on their transport fares and soft drinks before he could let them go.
Because they did not have the amount he was asking for, some gave him what they had, but he refused and left, locking them inside. The girls then contacted the police, who arrived at the scene and freed them, subsequently arresting Burikantu.
RIB spokesperson Dr. Thierry B. Murangira confirmed the incident, stating that it occurred in Binunga Village, Murama Cell, Kinyinya Sector, Gasabo District, where Burikantu resides.
He is currently being held at the RIB Kinyinya station while his case file is prepared for submission to the Prosecution within the legal timeframe.
Burikantu is being charged under Article 151 of Law No. 68/2018 of 30 August 2018, which outlines general offences and penalties in Rwanda. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence ranging from five to seven years.
Dr. Murangira further warned the public that the RIB will not tolerate anyone who exploits others’ vulnerabilities for personal gain or forces them into undesired situations.
“RIB reminds people to avoid such criminal acts because they are punishable by law, and anyone who commits them will be arrested and brought to justice,” he emphasised.
Mwitende, known as Burikantu, has been arrested on charges of illegally confining a person
