We Gunned Down Footballer Joseph Izu Near a ‘Cultists’ Shrine’ – Nigerian Army

We Gunned Down Footballer Joseph Izu Near a ‘Cultists’ Shrine’ – Nigerian Army

The Nigerian Army has finally spoken up days after the death of central defender with Premier League club Shooting Stars (3SC), Joseph Izu, stunned the sports community.

Earlier reports said Izu was “hit by a stray bullet when gunmen attacked a market in his hometown of Okaki in Bayelsa State.”

Rasheed Balogun, the Shooting Stars general manager, told ESPN FC: “This was a young boy with a lot of promise and we are devastated. We are still getting confusing reports about what happened exactly but we have been told that the stray bullet came from the JTF [Nigerian Joint Task Force].”

A Shooting STAR is gone! Izu Joseph is gone! Flamboyant defender is gone! RIP, brother. What a life! May God strengthen his family #Tragedy pic.twitter.com/m9cZxtq6bm

— Shooting Stars SC (@Official3SC) October 17, 2016

However, the Nigerian Army is telling a different story.

According to the Commander, 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Brig. Gen. Hamisu Hassan, the footballer was gunned down near a cultists’ shrine. The JTF reportedly were on a “confidence building” patrol when the shooting started.

Now, the Commander says they are carrying out investigations to ascertain what the footballer was doing in a cultists’ shrine.

“Information available to the patrolling troops indicated the presence of suspected cultists in Okaki village. The troops moved in and raided the suspected criminal hideout. One person lost his life at the hideout while several others fled,” Hassan says.

“Later, it was confirmed that the person who lost his life was a Nigerian footballer, identified as Mr. Izu Joseph. Nevertheless, investigation is ongoing to determine what he (Izu) was doing at the cultist’s shrine at that time.”