Rights Group, CHSR Petitions Lagos AG, Alleges Attempts To Frustrate Ajiran Murder Prosecution

 

The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has petitioned the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), over what it described as deliberate attempts to frustrate the ongoing investigation and prosecution of suspects linked to the murders of two Ajiran community indigenes, Sheriff Ishola Salami and Prince Kazeem Ademola Akinloye.

 

In a petition dated June 11, 2026, and signed by its President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, the civil society organisation urged the Ministry of Justice to safeguard the integrity of the prosecution and resist any external pressure capable of undermining the judicial process.

 

According to CHSR, the petition became necessary following what it termed emerging efforts to distort facts and compromise the administration of justice in the high-profile murder case.

 

The organisation recalled that the immediate past Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, now Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Moshood Olohundare Jimoh, had during a press briefing on February 19, 2026, declared the prime suspect, Alhaji Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi, wanted after the arrest and alleged confessional statements of other suspects connected with the killings.

 

It noted that police investigations, as presented at the briefing, reportedly uncovered detailed confessions, corroborative evidence and what it described as a coordinated pattern of violent acts that resulted in the deaths of the two victims in 2023 and 2024.

 

CHSR, however, expressed concern over a petition reportedly submitted to the Attorney-General by another group, the Centre for Citizens Rights Protection (CCRP), which it alleged sought to advance a misleading narrative capable of undermining the prosecution.

 

While acknowledging the constitutional right of individuals and groups to seek legal redress, CHSR argued that the CCRP's reported request for the release of the prime suspect or the granting of bail on the grounds of insufficient evidence amounted to premature interference in a matter already before the courts.

 

The organisation further contended that attempts to portray the suspect in a favourable light, despite publicly disclosed police findings, could erode public confidence in the justice system and inflict additional emotional distress on the victims' families and the Ajiran community.

 

It also warned that calls for the release of legal advice, immediate bail and an independent review of the case, though couched in legal terms, could serve as instruments of pressure capable of derailing due process.

 

CHSR stressed that criminal prosecutions, particularly those involving capital offences, should be determined strictly on the basis of evidence presented and tested before a competent court, rather than through external campaigns or public advocacy.

 

The group therefore called on the Attorney-General's office to ensure that the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) conducts the case in accordance with the law and on the basis of credible and admissible evidence.

 

It also urged the Ministry of Justice to preserve its institutional independence, resist premature interference, protect the rights and interests of the victims and their families, and monitor any actions that may amount to interference or abuse of legal process.

 

Emphasising its position, CHSR maintained that the alleged petition by the CCRP constituted a disservice to the bereaved families and the Ajiran community, insisting that justice must be anchored on facts, evidence and due process rather than sentiment or external influence.

 

The organisation concluded by urging the Lagos State Attorney-General to take decisive steps to ensure that the ongoing legal proceedings are conducted with fairness, transparency and integrity, describing the case as a critical test of public confidence in the state's justice system.