SARS operative allegedly kills footballer in Ogun.

An operative of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) yesterday allegedly shot dead a professional footballer, Tiyamiyu Kazeem at Orile Imo area along Sagamu-Abeokuta expressway in Ogun State. Daily Trust on Sunday reports that the development coming barely three days after SARS operatives shot two traders in Abeokuta, had thrown Sagamu into chaos as angry youths took to the streets.

Kazeem, aka Kaka, was an Assistant Captain of Remo Football Club based in Sagamu. The late footballer was said to have been shot by the SARS operative who reportedly mistaken him for a suspected internet fraudster (Yahoo boy).

Our correspondent gathered that the incident touched off the nerves of the youths in Sagamu, who staged a protest, chanting anti-SARS slogans including “No more SARS, no more SARS.”

It further learnt a police officer who had attempted to prevent the protesting youths on their way to the palace of the Akarigbo and Paramount ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, escaped being mobbed by whiskers.

The Media Manager of Remo Stars Football Club, Oladimeji Oshode in a statement on Saturday confirmed the incident, saying the deceased was also the club’s defender. Oshode said the incident happened while the late Kazeem was driving along Sagamu area with one of his teammates, Sanni Abubakar. However, the Spokesman of the State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi said contrary to the insinuations that the late footballer was shot, he was knocked down by a hit and run driver while trying to escape after he had been arrested. 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. The PPRO stated that the operative had been taken into custody at Owode-Egba division and would be transferred to the police headquarters for further investigation.