Rountrip

A coalition of civil society organisations has called for an independent judicial review of the investigation into the killings of Sheriff Ishola Salami and Prince Ademola Akinloye in Ajiran, Lagos State, alleging that the prosecution of Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi is based on a fabricated case. Addressing journalists in a statement, Ayodeji Ologun, Kolawole Emmanuel, Samuel isijola, who spoke on behalf of the coalition alleged that the police investigation was manipulated to implicate Akanbi while shielding the actual perpetrators of the crimes. It also accused some civil society groups of attempting to influence public opinion in support of the ongoing prosecution. According to the coalition, video-recorded interrogations of two suspects, identified as Yusuf Ismaila, also known as "Bariga," and Safiu Fatai, alias "Fabo," indicated that the killing of Sheriff Salami stemmed from an alleged cult rivalry. The group claimed the suspects, during their initial interrogations,...

Residents of the Ajiran Community on Saturday staged a peaceful protest, calling on the Nigeria Police Force to investigate allegations surrounding the death of Prince Ademola Akinloye, who was killed in August 2024. The protesters marched through Ajiran and neighboring communities carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding justice for the late prince. They urged law enforcement authorities to investigate Babajide Akinloye over his alleged connection to the circumstances surrounding the death of his younger brother. The demonstration follows recent claims made by social media activist Martins Ose, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), who alleged that Babajide Akinloye was the last known person to contact the deceased on the day of the incident. According to the activist, Babajide allegedly summoned Prince Ademola to the palace, and the deceased was reportedly attacked and killed while on his way there. The protesters also referenced allegations that, two days after the incident,...

A legal practitioner, Adedotun Ajulo, counsel to Alhaji Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, has called for mandatory legal training for officers appointed to head the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, arguing that the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the unit should only be occupied by officers with a sound understanding of constitutional and criminal law. Ajulo made the call in a statement issued in response to a publication allegedly released on behalf of the Lagos State Police Command, which accused him of leaking what it described as a "classified" investigation file relating to his client. Rejecting the allegation, the lawyer described the publication as "spurious" and "baseless," saying he was compelled to respond because the issues raised extend beyond his person and affect the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria. According to him, the controversy underscores the need for senior police officers ...

The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has expressed concern over what it described as the alleged disregard for court orders and the reported disappearance of a prime suspect linked to the killings of two residents of Ajiran in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. Addressing journalists at a press conference, the President of CHSR, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, said that the organisation was speaking on behalf of grieving families and residents of Ajiran who, according to him, have continued to live in fear following the killings of Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami and Prince Kazeem Ademola Akinloye. According to the group, Mr. Salami was allegedly murdered in Moba, Eti-Osa Local Government Area, on April 18, 2023, while Prince Akinloye was reportedly killed along Chevron Road on August 26, 2024. CHSR alleged that investigations by the police led to the arrest of several suspects who reportedly made confessional statements and named one Alhaji Ahmed Tajudeen as the alleged...

A group of youths from the Ajiran community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State has insisted that Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Moshood Jimoh, is compromising the investigation into the murder of two community members, alleging that his handling of the case has undermined public confidence in the justice process. Addressing journalists in Lagos, Lanre Adebayo and isreal Oluwatoyin, who spoke on behalf of the group alleged that the AIG had failed to conduct an impartial investigation into the killings, insisting that his actions had raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability. The youths claimed that rather than ensuring a fair and comprehensive investigation, the police authorities under Jimoh's supervision had allegedly ignored critical evidence and pursued what they described as a selective approach to the cases. According to the group, the murder case has generated widespread anxiety within the Ajiran community, with residents demandi...

A Lagos-based lawyer, Adedotun Ajulo Esq, has described the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Moshood Jimoh, as "incompetent and renewed his call for an independent review of the police investigation into the killings in Ajiran Community. Ajulo made the remarks in a statement issued in response to a publication titled "Ajiran killings: Groups, Stakeholders Exonerate AIG Jimoh Moshood from Corrupt Allegations, Refutes Defamatory Statement as Fallacy,"* in which several groups defended the senior police officer against allegations surrounding the handling of the murder investigation. According to the lawyer, public endorsements and declarations of support cannot replace transparency and accountability in restoring public confidence in the justice system. "Public confidence in the administration of justice cannot be restored through endorsements or public declarations. Confidence is earned through a process that is demonstrably impartial, transparent, and ca...