One Feared Dead As Protesters Storm Sagamu Streets Over Death Of Footballer

Three persons have been reportedly killed as angry young men and women took to the streets to protest the killing of a footballer named Tiyamiyu Kazeem by operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) In Sagamu, Ogun State.

Tiyamiyu Kazeem, a Remo Stars Football Club’s player, was said to have been pushed from a SARS van on motion and onto a speeding car that eventually killed him.

In a statement, the Media Officer of the club, Dimeji Oshode said the incident occurred on Saturday shortly after SARS operatives allegedly seized Kazeem from his car and labelled him an Internet fraudster (Yahoo boy).

“The SARS officers 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.

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“Kazeem and Sanni followed the SARS officers, only for them to notice that they (the SARS men) were driving towards Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway. The guys asked to know where the SARS officers were taking them to, but this prompted them to stop the car and pushed Kazeem out of the car, and an unknown vehicle knocked him down.”

The player was said to have been rushed to Fakoya Hospital in Sagamu, where he was confirmed dead.

However, the Ogun State Police Command said Kazeem was crushed to death while escaping from a police vehicle heading for Abeokuta, the state capital.

The spokesman of the police, Abimbola 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.

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“Somebody gave the policeman an 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.”

Angered by the controversy, angry youths marched round Sagamu on Monday, chanting anti-SARS slogans and demanding sanctions for the ‘killer’ cop.

In the process, according to Sahara Reporters, three persons were hit by live bullets fired by policemen to disperse the crowd.

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In retaliation, the young men and women pelted the law enforcement officials with stones.

A resident of the town named Kehinde Adekoya, who spoke with newsmen on Monday, confirmed that he had seen three bodies across various parts of Sagamu following the violence, adding that the entire place was “boiling”.

“I can tell you that at least three persons have been killed, I saw their bodies with my eyes. The entire place is boiling now. We don’t want SARS anymore in Sagamu,” he said.

In videos making the rounds on the social media, young men and women could be seen chanting various songs and calling for the abolition of SARS.

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