The Ogun State Police Command on Saturday confirmed the death of the Assistant Captain and Defender of Remo Stars Football club, Tiyamiyu Kazeem and ordered the arrest of one of its own involved in the soccer player’s demise.
According to the police, Kazeem was knocked down by a vehicle while trying to cross the expressway in order to evade arrest.
However, the club, quoting an eyewitness, said men of the police’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) had “pushed” Kazeem out a moving vehicle, leading to his death.
Remo Stars FC Player faced Untimely Death in the Hands of SARS Officers
Remo Stars Football Club (RSFC) Assistant Captain and Defender, Tiyamu Kazeem (Kaka) has been killed by a policeman from the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) from the Ogun State Command.
According to Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, Kazeem’s arrest was ordered after he was suspected to be wearing a military outfit.
“A Police Inspector attached to Zonal Intervention Squad Obada-Oko in Abeokuta said to have received information about the deceased that he always put on military apparel knowing fully well that he is not a military personnel.
“Based on the information, the Inspector went to Shagamu and saw the deceased putting on a military cap consequent upon which he got him arrested.
“On the way to Abeokuta, the vehicle they were traveling with developed a mechanical fault and while the officer was trying to rectify the fault, the arrested person jumped down from the vehicle to escape.
“In his bid to run across the road, an oncoming vehicle which is on high speed knocked him down and he died on the spot.”
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Police Command, has ordered the immediate arrest of the officer for his unprofessional act of leaving an arrested person alone in the vehicle.
“A full-scale investigation into the case has commenced by the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.”
The eyewitness account quoted by the Club, however, contradicted with the Police’s.
According to the account, which was posted on the Club’s Twitter account, “The SARS officer stopped Tiyamiyu Kazeem insisting that he was a Yahoo Boy, he brought out his identity (ID) 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 were the SARS officers were taking them to, but this prompted them to stop the car and push him (Tiyamiyu) out of the car, whereby an unknowing vehicle knocked him down.”
According to the Club, Kazeem was immediately rushed to Fakoya Hospital in Sagamu, where he was confirmed dead.
