CHSR Urges Lagos Assembly To Protect Judicial Process in Ajiran Murder Cases ...Stages Protest To Express Grievances

The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has called on the Lagos State House of Assembly to exercise caution over petitions relating to the ongoing prosecution of suspects in the murder cases involving two indigenes of Ajiran community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

In a petition dated June 15, 2026 and addressed to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, the civil society organisation urged the legislature to avoid any action capable of interfering with the judicial process and to support the cause of justice.

The petition, signed by CHSR President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, was titled: "Petition on the Need for Urgent Legislative Intervention in the Ongoing Trial of Murder Case Involving Ajiran Community Indigenes."

According to CHSR, its intervention followed a separate petition reportedly submitted to the Assembly by a group known as the Centre for Citizens Rights Protection (CCRP) concerning the police investigation and prosecution of suspects linked to the killings of Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami, a youth leader, and Prince Kazeem Ademola Akinloye.

The organisation recalled that it had earlier petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly on September 25, 2023, over the situation in Ojomu Community and the murder of Sheriff Ishola Salami, a move which led to public hearings conducted by the Assembly's Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC in October and November 2023.

CHSR further referenced a press briefing held at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja on February 19, 2026, during which the then Commissioner of Police, now an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, announced that the prime suspect, Alhaji Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi, had been declared wanted following the arrest and confessional statements of other suspects connected with the killings.

According to the organisation, the police investigation revealed confessional statements, corroborative evidence and what it described as a coordinated pattern of violent acts that culminated in the murders committed in 2023 and 2024.

Expressing concern over the petition allegedly submitted by CCRP, CHSR argued that the document misrepresented facts and had the potential to undermine the integrity of the ongoing judicial proceedings.

The organisation maintained that while citizens have the constitutional right to seek redress and advocate for justice, any action capable of questioning the sufficiency of evidence in a matter already before a competent court or influencing judicial determination should be approached with caution.

It also warned that introducing narratives capable of diminishing the gravity of the allegations could undermine the ongoing prosecution and mislead the public.

CHSR contended that any deliberate interference with the judicial process could erode public confidence in the justice system, cause renewed trauma to the families of the deceased and members of the Ajiran community, and threaten the rule of law by shifting criminal proceedings away from evidence presented before the courts.

The organisation therefore urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to preserve legislative integrity by refraining from actions that could interfere with pending court proceedings while encouraging transparency, accountability and respect for due process.

"Justice must remain anchored on facts, evidence and due process, not sentiment or selective advocacy," the petition stated.

CHSR described the case as a significant test of institutional integrity and democratic accountability in Lagos State, urging the Assembly under the leadership of Speaker Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa to support the cause of justice and resist any attempt to draw the legislature into actions that could prejudice the ongoing trial.

The organisation expressed confidence that the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Judiciary would continue to uphold fairness and ensure that justice is served in accordance with the law.