Cibitoke : the district police commissioner accused of extorting motorcycle riders

SOS Médias Burundi

Cibitoke, October 23, 2025 —
In Rugombo, in the Cibitoke district in northwest Burundi, tensions are rising between motorcycle riders and the district police commissioner, Jechonias Ntirampeba. Several motorcyclists accuse him of abuse of authority and extortion, citing a seizure operation carried out for personal gain.

According to numerous witnesses, the commissioner ordered the seizure of more than a hundred motorcycles circulating in the Rugombo area on Wednesday, October 22. The riders in question claim to have been accused of driving without valid documents, but denounce an operation orchestrated to extort money from them.

“He demanded that each motorcycle pay 100,000 Burundi francs to be released, without any receipt or official receipt,” reported a visibly angry representative of the motorcyclists’ associations.

Police sources confirmed that internal alerts had already been issued regarding the commissioner’s methods.

“We warned him that this kind of behavior could harm the image of the police,” confided an officer on condition of anonymity.

Nearly fifty motorcycles are still immobilized at the Rugombo police station, their owners unable to pay the demanded amount.

“This is pure theft. This money should go into the state coffers, not into the pockets of an individual,” said a rider we met at the scene.

Interviewed by SOS Médias Burundi, Commissioner Jechonias Ntirampeba declined to respond to the accusations of extortion. He claims that the operation was aimed solely at “strengthening road safety” and “fighting accidents caused by undocumented riders.” On the issue of payments without receipts, he remained silent.

For its part, the provincial police indicated that they were aware of the situation and assured that internal investigations were underway.

Practices that undermine trust in the police

Motorcycle riders’ associations are calling on the relevant authorities to intervene quickly to put an end to these practices, which they describe as “organized extortion.”
They are calling for greater transparency in inspection operations and strict compliance with administrative procedures, including the systematic issuance of official receipts for all fines collected.