The recent killing of Remo Stars FC of Sagamu assistant captain, Tiyamiyu Kazeem, by the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ogun State, has led to outrage and outcry in the country with citizens calling for the government to call uniformed men to order.
Late Tiyamiu Kazeem (a.k.a Kaka)
This is another case in the long line of sportsmen killed by either policemen or soldiers over the years.
In a statement on Saturday, Oladimeji Oshode, Remo Stars media officer, said the incident happened about noon along Sagamu Road.
According to him, the accused officer stopped the vehicle the deceased was driving. Kazeem was said to have been with Sanni Abubakar, his teammate.
The footballer was allegedly pushed out of the vehicle by the SARS operative, who had mistaken him for a suspected internet fraudster (Yahoo boy), before he was hit by an incoming vehicle.
Olaniyi Ogunsoro, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Officer who pushed Kazeem Tiyamiyu down from a moving car
“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,” the statement read.
“Tiyamiyu and Sanni obliged, followed the SARS officers, only for them to notice that they were driving towards Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway, then the guys wanted to know where the SARS officers were taking them, but instead they stopped the car and pushed him (Tiyamiyu) out, and an onrushing vehicle knocked him down.
“He was immediately rushed to Fakoya Hospital in Sagamu, where it was confirmed that Tiyamiyu Kazeem was no more.”
Late Kazeem Tiyamiyu's father dragging the SARS officer haven hear the news of his son death.
The police in their usual way of doing things quickly came to the defence of their officers, claiming the deceased intentionally jumped down from the vehicle while trying to escape.
According to Abimbola Oyeyemi, spokesman of the state police command, Kazeem was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver, while trying to escape, after he had been arrested.
Oyeyemi also said the deceased was arrested for wearing a military cap and not on the suspicion of being an internet fraudster.
He added that the operative who arrested the deceased was an inspector attached to the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS), Obada, and not a SARS operative.
He said: “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.
“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.”
An account already debunked by the teammate who was with them and other witnesses who revealed that the innocent boy was pushed out after it was established that he was a footballer and not a ‘Yahoo Boy’ as initially suspected by the officer.
It has been a constant occurrence for uniformed men to harass civilians and most of the time without any just cause.
It is common knowledge in the country that police and army paid with tax payers’ money to protect the citizens most of the times always turn around to be their greatest enemy.
There have been calls in recent time for an end to the operation of SARS in the country but despite instructions from the Federal Government and the egghead of the police for this special force to work under the ambience of the law, the reverse has been the case.
The case of Kazeem led to huge outcry after the police claimed he was a criminal but thank God for his teammate who was there during the arrest, otherwise it would have been another unresolved case like that of Joseph Izu, a Shooting Stars of Ibadan star shot in his prime by soldiers from the Joint Military Task Force in Okaki, Ahoada, Rivers State, in October 2016.
This is another case in the long line of sportsmen killed by either policemen or soldiers over the years.
In a statement on Saturday, Oladimeji Oshode, Remo Stars media officer, said the incident happened about noon along Sagamu Road.
According to him, the accused officer stopped the vehicle the deceased was driving. Kazeem was said to have been with Sanni Abubakar, his teammate.
The footballer was allegedly pushed out of the vehicle by the SARS operative, who had mistaken him for a suspected internet fraudster (Yahoo boy), before he was hit by an incoming vehicle.
“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,” the statement read.
“Tiyamiyu and Sanni obliged, followed the SARS officers, only for them to notice that they were driving towards Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway, then the guys wanted to know where the SARS officers were taking them, but instead they stopped the car and pushed him (Tiyamiyu) out, and an onrushing vehicle knocked him down.
“He was immediately rushed to Fakoya Hospital in Sagamu, where it was confirmed that Tiyamiyu Kazeem was no more.”
The police in their usual way of doing things quickly came to the defence of their officers, claiming the deceased intentionally jumped down from the vehicle while trying to escape.
According to Abimbola Oyeyemi, spokesman of the state police command, Kazeem was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver, while trying to escape, after he had been arrested.
Oyeyemi also said the deceased was arrested for wearing a military cap and not on the suspicion of being an internet fraudster.
He added that the operative who arrested the deceased was an inspector attached to the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS), Obada, and not a SARS operative.
He said: “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.
“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.”
An account already debunked by the teammate who was with them and other witnesses who revealed that the innocent boy was pushed out after it was established that he was a footballer and not a ‘Yahoo Boy’ as initially suspected by the officer.
It has been a constant occurrence for uniformed men to harass civilians and most of the time without any just cause.
It is common knowledge in the country that police and army paid with tax payers’ money to protect the citizens most of the times always turn around to be their greatest enemy.
There have been calls in recent time for an end to the operation of SARS in the country but despite instructions from the Federal Government and the egghead of the police for this special force to work under the ambience of the law, the reverse has been the case.
The case of Kazeem led to huge outcry after the police claimed he was a criminal but thank God for his teammate who was there during the arrest, otherwise it would have been another unresolved case like that of Joseph Izu, a Shooting Stars of Ibadan star shot in his prime by soldiers from the Joint Military Task Force in Okaki, Ahoada, Rivers State, in October 2016.
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