By PETER MOSES, Abeokuta

An operative of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), on Saturday, allegedly shot dead a professional footballer, 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.

Kazeem, aka Kaka, was an assistant captain of Remo Football Club based in Sagamu. The late professional footballer was said to have been shot by the SARS operative 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 information that the deceased usually put on military wears and often oppressed people with it.

He saw the boy wearing military cap and he arrested him and took him into his vehicle,” he said. “On their way to Abeokuta, his vehicle developed 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. (Daily Trust)

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