Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun State, has accused some youths in the Sagamu area of the state of attempting to loot banks and a secretariat, during the protest over the death of Remo Stars’ footballer, Kazeem Tiamiyu.
The governor also said the youths tried to attack Sagamu Divisional Police Officer (DPO), and to burn an armoured personnel carrier.
Tiamiyu, also known as Kaka, died on Saturday, after it was alleged that an operative of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) pushed him out of their Toyota Siena after ushering him into their car.
The footballer was reportedly crushed by an oncoming vehicle in the process.
Residents of the community trooped out on Monday to protest the incident, which turned into a riot, with three persons said to have lost their lives.
But Abiodun said some of the youths refused to be calm during the protest, and that they took advantage of the protest to commit crimes.
“Contrary to the promise of restraint given by the youth, a while after the peace meeting, some youth defied the calls for restraint and decided to take the advantage of the situation by embarking on activities that further aggravated the already tense situation. They attempted to attack the Divisional Police Station, burn the police Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), and even loot the banks and local government headquarters,” Abiodun said.
The governor in a live Facebook video in the night, stated that he received briefings from security chiefs in the state on the matter, saying he deemed it fit to share the information with the public.
He said his government will not tolerate any breach of peace in the town, sounding a note of warning that anybody caught fomenting trouble will face the wrath of the law.
Abiodun noted that he had informed the Presidency about the unfortunate incident, adding that he was given assurances that normalcy will be restored.
According to him, security has been beefed up in Sagamu, including the deployment of soldiers.
He appealed to law-abiding indigenes of the area to go about their lawful businesses without any fear of molestation.
“Let me assure all the good citizens of Ogun State and residents of Sagamu that they should go about their lawful business without any fear of molestation whatsoever. I wish to sound a note of warning that anyone that attempts to capitalise on the unfortunate incident to foment any trouble or engage in activity that is in breach of public peace and order will be subjected to full force of law. Parents and guardians should caution their children and wards to refrain from confrontation with law enforcement agents whilst carrying out their responsibilities of maintain law and order,” he added.
