NGO raises alarm over alleged attempts to influence Ajiran double-murder trial, petitions Lagos Assembly
The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly, alleging coordinated attempts by external interests to undermine and influence the ongoing prosecution of suspects linked to the killing of two prominent indigenes of Ajiran community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area.
In a petition dated June 15, 2026, and submitted to Speaker Mudashiru Obasa at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja, the group called for legislative oversight to protect the integrity of the trial, warning that any interference could erode public confidence in the justice system.
CHSR President, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, said the organisation’s intervention became necessary amid rising public campaigns and counter-narratives surrounding the case.
He stressed that criminal proceedings must be allowed to run strictly on evidence presented in court, rather than be shaped by external pressure or advocacy campaigns.
“The justice process must remain evidence-driven and insulated from interference. Anything short of that weakens public trust in the system,” Omotehinse said.
The petition relates to the ongoing prosecution over the killings of two Ajiran community figures, Sheriff Ishola Salami, a youth leader killed in April 2023 in Moba Town, and Prince Kazeem Ademola Akinloye, son of the Ojomu of Ajiran Land, who was killed in August 2024 along Chevron Road.
Following a renewed investigation, the Lagos State Police Command announced in February 2026 the arrest of two suspects who allegedly confessed to carrying out the attacks for financial reward. Police sources said the suspects implicated a suspected financier, Alhaji Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi, who was later arrested in the Republic of Benin and extradited to Nigeria for prosecution.
Tensions around the case have intensified following a counter-petition submitted by the Centre for Citizens Rights Protection (CCRP), which questioned the strength of evidence against the accused and called for reconsideration of his detention.
CHSR rejected the intervention, describing it as an attempt to prematurely influence judicial proceedings and sway public opinion before the conclusion of trial processes.
The group also warned that such campaigns risk undermining the rights of victims’ families and weakening confidence in the justice system.
Family members of one of the deceased, Prince Kazeem Akinloye, have also expressed concern over public commentary on the case, saying it has compounded their grief and called for restraint until the court delivers a final judgment.
The CHSR urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to uphold institutional integrity and resist any efforts aimed at derailing the judicial process, insisting that the matter must be resolved strictly within the courtroom.