Violence Rocks Sagamu as Residents Protest Alleged Murder of Football Star by Police … 2 Feared Dead

Ololade Adeyanju & NAN/

Two persons were allegedly killed as scores of residents today staged a protest in Sagamu, Ogun State, over the alleged killing of Remo Stars Football Club player, Tiyamiyu Kazeem, by police officers attached to Zonal Intervention Squad.

The protesters, who took to the streets also stormed the Palace of the Akarigbo and the Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, demanding justice for the deceased.

The protesters condemned the incessant brutality and indiscriminate arrests of residents by police operatives, especially officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The protest however turned violent when the protesters allegedly attempted to attack a police station in the town.

The development reportedly resulted in the killing of two protesters by the police.

Mobile police officers have been deployed in the town to forestall total breakdown of law and order.

Meanwhile, the family of late Tiyamiyu who was the Assistant Captain of Remo Stars Football Club, has refuted the preliminary reports on the alleged killing of their son released by the police.

They insisted that Tiyamiyu, who was popularly known as Kaka, was allegedly “murdered” on Saturday by some operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad attached to the Ogun State Police Command on the Sagamu-Abeokuta road and demanded justice.

The family said that the Ogun State Government should ensure that the killers of the deceased were brought to book.

The family made the demand in a statement signed by its lawyers Adegbesan Adenola Esq., Ogunsanmi Abisoye Esq. and the family’s spokesman, Ganiyu Tiyamiyu.

The family, in the statement, also described Kaka’s murder as “premeditated murder of a young, promising and rising star by some lawless and reckless SARS officers.”

The family spokesman said “the denial by the NPF was false“, adding that it was only meant to exonerate the policeman alleged to have committed the offence.

The spokesman said, “Tiyamiyu Kazeem is a professional footballer currently signed to Remo Stars in Sagamu and on that day he was in a shop buying groceries when some SARS officers grabbed him and pushed him into their Sienna bus.

“One member of the SARS team drove Tiyamiyu’s car with Tiyamiyu’s fellow colleague signed to the same club by his side and they proceeded straight to Abeokuta.”

Ganiyu Tiyamiyu said that the SARS operatives stopped the vehicle transporting them and the two people arrested.

“And the deceased was questioning the SARS officers on the reason for his illegal arrest.

“He was pushed down from the car and got hit instantly by a vehicle and somersaulted to the other side of the road.

“Immediately after the accident, he was still breathing and was rushed to a hospital at Obafemi Owode before he was moved to another hospital in Ipara.

“This was contrary to the advice and protest by his teammate that Kaka should be taken straight to the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital for proper treatment.

“While on their way to the hospital at Ipara, the Sienna bus used for the illegal operation absconded and while at the hospital, Kaka finally gave up the ghost,” he said.

Ganiyu Tiyamiyu said that the SARS operative that allegedly committed the crime attempted to escape.

The spokesman said that he was apprehended by some of the hospital’s staff and handed over to the police.

“Contrary to the claim by the police that the deceased was always dressed in military uniform, he was not in any military uniform neither has he ever worn any military uniform.

“Further to this, there are a lot of questions begging for answers on the mode and procedure of the arrest that will be addressed in the course of the trial.”

It added that such officers had been parading and acting with impunity all over the country.

“It is obvious that the lack of diligent prosecution of similar cases all over the country keeps encouraging some of the SARS operatives to continue this series of illegal operations.

“Such have been claiming the lives of innocent citizens without any form of deterrent whatsoever.

“This is another case begging and crying for justice and we hereby demand the immediate investigations and diligent prosecution of this case,” he said.

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