Nigerians are still in shock over the demise of Flying Eagles defender, Douglas Uzama.
Uzama, 18, was shot dead on Thursday by suspected cultists in Sakponba, a suburb of Benin City, Edo State.
His father, Jacob, who is yet to come to terms with the loss of his son, revealed how the Gombe United star was tricked and killed in a bar by hoodlums.
“I was not at home when the incident happened but I was told that Douglas’ friends called him on phone and he went to meet them,” Jacob told Saturday PUNCH.
“When I got there, I met he was shot at the back of his head. His brother rushed him to Central Hospital but Douglas was dead before he got to hospital.
“We have deposited his corpse at a mortuary. We’ve also reported the matter to the police but we’ve not heard from them yet.”
Douglas was part of the 2015 Golden Eaglets team before progressing to the Flying Eagles a year later.
He was exceptional last term as Gombe United secured a historic promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Pained by the untimely exit of their charismatic left-back, the Desert Scorpions urged security agencies to bring the perpetrators to book.
“We call on the security forces to hunt for Douglas Uzama’s murderers and bring them to book. They should be made to pay for this dastardly act and shall never be allowed to go scot free,” the club said in a statement.
However, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, denied any knowledge of the incident but acknowledged the dangerous state of the area where the player was murdered.
“I don’t have any information about the killing of any footballer but the Edo State Police Command has been arresting suspected cultists over clashes in the Sakponba area of Benin City recently,” Gwandu said.
An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity for fear of being attacked by the cultists said the attack on the Edo State-born player was planned.
“Sakponba is notorious for the activities of cultists. It was a well-planned attack on Douglas. It’s a cult-related incident but whether he was a cultist or they used him to get back at somebody else is what we don’t know.”
It’s the second time a Premier League player would be killed in 2016. Shooting Stars’ defender Izu Joseph was reportedly shot dead by soldiers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in October while also on holiday.
