Nigeria Premier League defender Izu Joseph has been shot dead in his hometown of Okaki in oil-rich southern Bayelsa state, it was reported on Monday.<\/p>\n
The player\u2019s father said Joseph was killed accidentally by troops battling Niger delta militants on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Initial reports said Joseph was killed at a restricted area by soldiers on a raid, with his identity as a footballer only established after he had been shot.<\/p>\n
The powerful central defender joined Shooting Stars from Bayelsa United when the Ibadan club were still in the second-tier Nigeria National League.<\/p>\n
He was man of the match at champions Rangers when Shooting Stars drew 1-1 this past season.<\/p>\n
The Sports Writers Association (SWAN) commented: \u201cIt is indeed a great loss not only to 3SC, but also to the football fraternity in Nigeria.\u201d<\/p>\n
It urged government to beef up security across the country to prevent a \u201crecurrence of the avoidable incident that claimed the life of our valuable footballer, Izu Joseph.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nigerian troops are deployed to the Niger delta where militants have been attacking oil facilities since the start of the year, cutting output and hammering government revenue at a time of low crude prices.<\/p>\n
Follow Us<\/p>\n