The Ogun State Police Command has reacted to the death of Nigerian footballer, Tiyamu Kazeem, who was allegedly killed by an officer of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) on Saturday.
Kazeem was the assistant captain and defender of Remo Stars Football club.
According to Kaka’s football club, Remo Stars FC’s accounts, Tiyamu Kazeem was arrested by the SARS police after he was accused of being a “Yahoo Boy”.
Tiyamu Kazeem was on his way to Sagamu from Abeokuta when the SARS officials arrested him and after showing his ID card, they insisted that he must follow them to their station.
The club said that even after identifying himself as a footballer for Remo Stars FC, and presented his ID card to prove that, the police took him to their station. One of the officers was alleged to have pushed Tiyamu Kazeem unto an oncoming vehicle, which caused his death.
According to the statement released by the Police, the account of the incident that led to Kaka’s arrest and death according to the Police is now different.
The Police has accused Tiyamu Kazeem of illegally wearing army camouflage, which was what led to his arrest.
Read the statement released by the Ogun State Police Command in regards to Tiyamu Kazeem’s death below.
“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.”
