Football Community Mourns As Ondo Sunshine Stars FC Kit Manager Dies After Robbery Incident

By Ayodele Oni

Assistant Kit Manager, Taiwo Dosunmu, attached to Ondo state owned Sunshine Football Club of Akure, that sustained gunshot when the team was attacked by armed robbers is dead.

Media officer of the council,  Michael Akintunde who disclosed this on Saturday in a statement, stated that Dosunmu died  in line of duty by the bullets  of armed bandit along Benin-Ore expressway on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

According to the statement, he died at the Intensive Care Unit of University of Benin Teaching Hospital on Friday, December 22, 2023 after series of surgeries by consultants at the facility.

T described Dosunmu as a very hard working individual who took his job with all sense of seriousness.

“His selflessness at the moment of the attack saved the lives of players and other members of Sunshine Stars management. He will be sorely missed.

“Special thanks to the governments of Ondo and Edo States as well as the entire football family in Nigeria and many others for the supports rendered during the spell of the unfortunate incident.

Edo state government, through the Sports Commission, and Bendel Insurance FC have Commiserate with Sunshine Stars Over Dosunmu’s Death

“The chairman, Edo state Sports Commission Olympian Yusuf Alli and management of Bendel Insurance FC have commiserated with the management and players of Sunshine Stars of Akure over the passing of their Assistant kit manager Taiwo Dosunmu.

“Dosunmu’s untimely death was announced this morning by the media officer of the Owena Waves Akintunde, saying that the passing of the young kit manager was confirmed at the early hours of today by the Doctors in charge of his case at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital(UBTH).

“He died at the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital  on Friday, December, 22, 2023.

“In the condolence message, the chairman of Edo Sports Commission Olympian Yusuf said that, he was in a sad mood.

“We are in a very sad mood right now. The death of that boy has spoiled my day. We in Bendel Insurance FC and Edo Sports Commission are mourning.

“We informed our Governor, His Excellency Mr Godwin Obaseki about the sad news this morning and he felt so bad about it.

“The governor did everything to support in trying to save his life by instructing the medical facility to provide the best care for the boy with a vow to take the medical bills off the Sunshine Stars.

“It is so unfortunate that despite all efforts, the boy could not make it. This is not good for Nigeria Football and the country.

“We also sympathize with the family of late Taiwo Dosunmu and we pray God to grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

The Edo Sports Commission boss however appealed to the Federal and State Government as well as the security operatives to redouble their efforts in combating the bad security situation on highways and in the country as a whole.

Recall that players and officials of  Sunshine Stars FC of Akure were attacked by unknown gunmen on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at about 5:15 PM on the Lagos-Ore-Benin Highway on their way to Benin City for the NPFL Match Day 13 engagement with Bendel Insurance FC.

The suspected armed robbery gang opened fire on Sunshine Stars’ official bus with the  assistant kit manager, Taiwo Dosunmu shot in his stomach while some other officials sustained varied degrees of injuries.

This prompted the Edo state Governor Mr Godwin Obaseki to play his fatherly role of paying the visitors’ medical bills and providing them with security Escort to take them back to Akure while Dosunmu remained at the intensive care unit of the UBTH till his death.

The horrible incident forced the rescheduling of the Bendel Insurance, Sunshine Stars game from Saturday to Sunday which the

Owena Waves lost gallantly by a lone goal at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin.