INTERPOL Arrests Fugitive Nigerian Businessman In Benin Republic

LAGOS, Nigeria  – A Lagos businessman declared wanted for the murders of Prince Ademola Akinloye and Sheriff Ishola Salami has been arrested in Benin Republic and handed over to the police.

Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, 38, also known locally as Ahmed Ajiran and CEO of Amtachek and Amrok Markham Company, was picked up in a Cotonou hotel on April 15 after months of tracking. He was formally transferred yesterday to the Zone 2 Police Command headquarters in Onikan.

NaijaChoice News reports that Akanbi faces charges of masterminding the separate killings, willful destruction of property, and allegedly hiring assassins to strike in the Ajiran community of Eti-Osa. Police say he financed the operations that left the two men dead in coordinated attacks.

The first victim, Sheriff Ishola Salami, was murdered on April 18, 2023, in Moba Town. Prince Ademola Akinloye, son of the Ojomu of Ajiran Land, Oba Tijani Adetunji Akinloye, was shot dead on August 26, 2024, along Chevron Road in the same axis.

Assistant Inspector General of Police Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, who addressed journalists at the zonal headquarters, said the breakthrough followed a directive from the Inspector-General of Police after fresh petitions and confessions from arrested accomplices.

Jimoh named the accomplices as Safiu Fatai (alias Fabo), Yusuf Ismaila (alias Baraka), Soji Mascot, and one Kenny. He confirmed that the hitmen told investigators they were paid to carry out the killings on Akanbi’s orders.

The AIG stressed that the case, which had caused tension in parts of Lagos, involves multiple murders and attempts spanning several years. He warned against politicising the matter and assured that investigations would be concluded speedily before the suspect is charged.

CP Fidelis Ogarabe of INTERPOL Nigeria said the arrest was made possible through close collaboration with Benin Republic authorities. Items recovered from Akanbi, including travel documents, mobile phones and a luxury vehicle, will be used as evidence.

The Ojomu Royal Family and residents of Ajiran have welcomed the development, describing the killings as brazen daylight attacks that disrupted peace in the community.

AIG Jimoh appealed to victims of the suspect’s alleged activities, including those who suffered property destruction or threats, to come forward with information at Zone 2 or the offices of the Commissioners of Police in Lagos and Ogun states. The police, he said, remain committed to justice for all.