Sagamu, Ogun State — February 22, 2020
New details have emerged about the tragic death of Tiyamiyu Kazeem, widely known as “Kaka,” as his manager and agent, Aramide, recounts the events leading up to the incident that has since drawn widespread concern.
According to Aramide, the day began routinely. The players had returned from their morning football training session and were settling in to watch English Premier League matches together.
“Kaka mentioned he wanted to visit his father,” Aramide recalled. “I asked him to help me get some beans on his way.” Kazeem then left the house accompanied by his teammate, Sanni Abubakar. Both players were under Aramide’s management at the time.
Moments later, Aramide received a phone call that would abruptly alter the course of the day.
“Sanni called me and said, ‘Kaka has been killed by SARS.’ I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “That was how everything changed.”
The incident reportedly occurred along the Sagamu–Abeokuta Expressway in Sagamu, Ogun State. Kazeem, who served as Vice-Captain of Remo Stars Football Club, was allegedly apprehended by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a now-disbanded unit of the Nigeria Police Force that had faced longstanding allegations of misconduct.
Aramide described Kazeem as a promising young athlete with strong leadership qualities and a clear future in football.
“I want people to remember that he was not a criminal,” he said. “He was a footballer. A leader. A young man with a future. He didn’t just die — he was killed. And I was the one who got that call.”
Kazeem’s death adds to a series of incidents that, at the time, intensified public scrutiny of SARS and contributed to growing calls for reform within Nigeria’s policing system.
