Ajiran Murder Trial: Rights Group Demands Resumption Of Proceedings, Seeks Update On Akanbi’s Custody

Ajiran Murder Trial: Rights Group Demands Resumption Of Proceedings, Seeks Update On Akanbi’s Custody

The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has called for the immediate resumption of murder trials involving Alhaji Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi and other defendants at the Lagos High Court.

The rights organisation made the demand at a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, September 27, 2026, expressing concern over repeated administrative reviews of the case file which it said had disrupted the progress of the proceedings.

CHSR President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, said the defendants are standing trial over the alleged murders of two members of the Ajiran community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

One of the victims was identified as youth leader Sheriff Ishola Salami, who was killed on April 18, 2023.

The second victim was identified as Prince Kazeem Ademola Akinloye, the son of the Ojomu of Ajiranland, who was killed on August 26, 2024.

According to CHSR, petitions submitted by groups, including the Centre for Citizens Rights Protection (CCRP), prompted the Office of the Chief Judge of Lagos State to request the case file for administrative review.

The organisation said some of the petitions alleged bias against the trial judge, Justice A. T. Muyideen.

CHSR stated that an earlier review had cleared the judge of the allegations, but said the case file was subsequently recalled again following another petition dated June 29, 2026.

The group said a second petition was submitted on August 3, after which the file was again subjected to administrative assessment.

According to the organisation, lawyers and other parties involved in the matter arrived for a scheduled hearing on September 18 but were informed that the case file had once again been requested for review.

CHSR acknowledged that the Chief Judge has the authority to supervise judicial administration and consider petitions concerning cases, but argued that repeatedly retrieving the file while the trial was ongoing had stalled proceedings.

The group said the delays had created concerns among the families of the alleged victims and members of the public who were following the case.

Omotehinse said the repeated retrieval of the file from a court actively hearing the matter had inadvertently halted the progression of the trial.

CHSR also raised questions about the current custody status of Akanbi, who, according to the organisation, was initially remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre before being transferred to a medical facility over health concerns.

The rights group called on the relevant authorities to provide official information about Akanbi’s health condition and current custody arrangements.

It said clarification was necessary to ensure transparency and establish whether the existing arrangements comply with court orders.

The organisation also expressed concern over what it described as public protests, media campaigns and petitions that allegedly presented misleading accounts of the case and portrayed the principal defendant as a victim.

Those claims by CHSR have not been independently verified and were not accompanied by responses from the individuals or organisations accused of promoting such narratives.

CHSR further cited the constitutional right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time, arguing that the criminal proceedings should be allowed to continue so that evidence can be examined through the judicial process.

The organisation said it was not seeking to determine the guilt or innocence of the defendants outside the court, but wanted the evidence to be presented and evaluated through legitimate judicial proceedings.

It therefore urged the Chief Judge’s office and other relevant authorities to explain the reasons for the repeated retrieval of the case file and provide clarification on Akanbi’s custody.

CHSR also called for the murder trial to resume without further administrative interruptions, stressing that the court should be allowed to determine the case based on the evidence presented by the parties.

As of the time of the report, there was no response included from the Lagos State Chief Judge’s office, the trial court, the Centre for Citizens Rights Protection or the defendants concerning the allegations raised by CHSR.

The allegations and legal arguments made by the rights group remain matters before the relevant authorities and have not been established as findings of the court.