Moshood Jimoh, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, has declared that justice will be served in the ongoing trial of a suspect linked to two murders in the Ajiran community, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. Jimoh made this statement on Monday, July 20, at the Zone 2 headquarters in Lagos, following a solidarity visit from a group of civil rights activists amid controversy surrounding the killings.
Background to the Ajiran Murders
Two homicides occurred in the Eti-Osa axis of Lagos within approximately 16 months. Sheriff Ishola Salami, a youth leader, was killed on April 18, 2023, while Prince Kazeem Ademola Akinloye, the first son of the Ojomu of Ajiranland, was murdered on August 26, 2024. Police investigations, conducted while Jimoh served as Commissioner of Police in Lagos, led to the arrest of two suspects who provided confessional statements identifying the alleged sponsor behind the killings. These statements pointed to Lagos businessman Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, also known as Ahmed Ajiran, who was subsequently declared wanted in February 2025.
Akanbi was later tracked to a hotel in Cotonou, Benin Republic, where the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) arrested him and returned him to Nigeria.
The Matter Is in Court - AIG Jimoh
Speaking with the visiting activists, Jimoh said the police built a strong case before transferring the matter to the judiciary. "The matter is already in court and justice must prevail," he said. "Police work terminates when matters are taken to court. As a professional officer, I'm not allowed to talk about the matter."
He also disclosed that he faced repeated attempts to compromise the investigation, including financial inducements. "Nobody can pressure me to do what is unlawful. Justice must prevail," Jimoh added, noting that all officers who worked on the case during his tenure as commissioner equally resisted the pressure. "Because we have a good case and evidence and other circumstantial evidence that can stand the test of trial in court against Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi. The matter is in court already."
Activists' Solidarity Visit
The visit came amid a public debate over the case, partly fueled by social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, who questioned in a viral video why Akanbi had been named as a suspect. The activists said they went to the AIG's office to counter what they described as a campaign to discredit the police and the investigation.
House of Assembly Reacts to Assassination of Lagos Prince
The Lagos State House of Assembly previously described the killing of Prince Kazeem Akinloye as one too many. On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, lawmakers urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to probe the murder.
