The Governor of Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun on Tuesday 25th February 2020, paid a condolence visit to the parents of slain footballer, Tiamiyu Kazeem. The late footballer was reported to have been allegedly shot and killed by some men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on Saturday.
The SARS operatives who were said to be on an illegal mission, allegedly shot and killed Tiamiyu Kazeem, who until his unfortunate death was the vice-captain of the Remo Stars Football Club and was popularly known as ‘Kaka’.
Governor Dapo Abiodun who has already promised to arrest and charged those responsible to court to face the law, was accompanied on the condolence visit by a Police DIG, Peter Ogunyonwo.
The DIG who relayed the directive of the IGP Adamu, confirmed the IG has ordered that the satellite offices set up by all 12 zones be scrapped, dismantled and handed over to the various Commissioners of Police.
Speaking during the visit, the Governor said “Kaka’s death is irreversibly regrettable because Ogun State has lost a man of unexplored talents. But this long-awaited, significant reform within the structures of the Nigerian Police assures us of an end to such anomalies” he said.
The Governor also paid a visit to the Palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, HRM Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, where he thanked him for his prompt response and efforts made towards de-escalating the situation.
The SARS operatives who are yet to be named were reported to have shot dead Tiyamiyu Kazeem, at Orile Imo area along Sagamu – Abeokuta expressway in Ogun State. But police said it was a hit-and-run accident. It comes three days after SARS operatives shot two traders in Abeokuta, causing chaos as angry youths took to the streets.
The late professional footballer was said to have been shot by the SARS operatives who are said to have mistaken him for a suspected internet fraudster (Yahoo boy). In response, youths took to the streets in protest, chanting “No more SARS, No More SARS.”
A police officer who had attempted to stop the protesting youths on their way to the palace of the Akarigbo and paramount ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, escaped being mobbed. The media manager of Remo Stars Football Club, Oladimeji Oshode, in a statement on Saturday confirmed the incident, saying the incident happened while the late Kazeem was driving along Sagamu area with one of his teammates, Sanni Abubakar. He said,
“According to an eyewitness, he claimed that the SARS officer stopped the footballer to label him a Yahoo Boy. “The SARS officer stopped Tiyamiyu Kazeem insisting that he was a Yahoo Boy; he brought out his identity card to identify himself as a player of Remo Stars FC but the officer insisted on taking him to the nearest police station in Sagamu.
“Tiyamiyu and Sanni obliged, followed the SARS officers, only for them to notice that they were driving towards Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway. Then the guys questioned to know where the SARS officers were taking them to, but this prompted them to stop the car and push him (Tiyamiyu) out of the car, and a vehicle knocked him down.”
Oshode disclosed that Kazeem was immediately rushed to Fakoya Hospital in Sagamu, where he was confirmed dead. He described the death of the footballer as a great loss to Remo Stars family and the entire football fraternity.
However, the spokesman of the State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said contrary to the insinuations that the late footballer was shot, he was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver, while trying to escape after he had been arrested.
Oyeyemi said the deceased was arrested for wearing a military cap and not on the suspicion of being an internet fraudster. He pointed out that the operative who arrested the deceased was an inspector attached to the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS), Obada, and not a SARS operative.
“Somebody gave the policeman a piece of information that the deceased usually put on military wears and often oppressed people with it. He saw the boy wearing a military cap and he arrested him and took him into his vehicle,” he said.
“On their way to Abeokuta, his vehicle developed a mechanical fault. He (policeman) parked and tried to rectify it. In the process, the suspect who was not handcuffed jumped out of the vehicle and took to his heels. While crossing the road, an oncoming vehicle crushed him to death along the expressway. The vehicle did not stop.”
The PPRO stated that the operative had been taken into custody at Owode-Egba division and would be transferred to the police headquarters for further investigation.