Official police records obtained by our correspondent directly contradict allegations of corruption levelled against Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Olohundare Moshood Jimoh by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over his handling of the Ajiran murder case.
VeryDarkMan had publicly accused the AIG, who commands Zone 2 in Lagos, of being “extremely corrupt” and “a threat to the justice system,” daring him to sue for criminal defamation if the claims were false.
Without documentary evidence to support his allegations, VDM blamed Jimoh, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, for the alleged absence of the initial statements of two suspects, Fabo and Bariga, linked to the murder of two Ajiran princes.
Findings by our Correspondent showed calculated attempts to malign and blackmail AIG Jimoh, who against all odds, followed through with the investigation of the alleged murders and ensured those reasonably suspected of involvement were arrested and arraigned.
Aside from attempts to use highly influential persons to pressure the AIG out of the case citing how previous CPs allegedly looked the other way, those behind this campaign, it was gathered have shopped for influencers and popular media personalities to paddle false and malicious narratives in a bid to curry public sympathy.
However, a detailed memo signed by the AIG on April 22, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), clearly spelt out the senior police officer’s involvement and role in the case. The record was sent in response to a separate petition by A.O. Ajulo & Partners, lawyers for murder suspect and businessman Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, who have also accused Jimoh of bias and abuse of office.
The allegation: the case was reopened without cause
Critics claim Jimoh revived a “resolved” case for personal or political reasons. The memo shows the reopening followed a direct order, not personal initiative. Chief Rotimi Williams’ Chambers had petitioned the IGP on January 7, 2026 on behalf of the Ojomu Chieftaincy Family of Ajiran, alleging that the murders of Prince Ademola Akinloye and Sheriff Ishola Salami remained unresolved.
The Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, CP Lateef Adio Ahmed, conveyed the IGP’s directive to Jimoh, then Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, on January 8, instructing him to investigate.
The allegation: Akanbi was declared wanted without evidence
Akanbi’s lawyers say he was named a suspect solely over a land dispute. The case file states otherwise. Investigators recorded statements from five complainants and witnesses, including the victim’s widow, who described watching her husband shot and machete-cut while fleeing pursuers, according to an eyewitness account in the file. Two arrested suspects, Shafi Fatai (alias Fabo) and Yusuf Ismaila (alias Bariga), separately confessed to police that Akanbi ordered and financed both killings, naming sums of N2 million and N3 million allegedly paid for the murders.
The allegation: Akanbi was pressured to intervene in his own arrest
A further claim holds that police fabricated Akanbi’s involvement. The memo cites a community witness who told police he recorded a phone call in which Akanbi allegedly pleaded for help securing the release of the two suspects and withdrawal of the murder cases, in exchange for releasing disputed community land. The witness said he played the recording for the investigating police officer.
The allegation: no valid court order backed the arrest
Akanbi’s counsel maintains he was declared wanted without judicial backing. Court records attached to the memo show two separate orders: one from Magistrate Court 3, Ogba, Ikeja, on 16 February 2026, granting police leave to arrest and remand Akanbi for 14 days; and a second from the Federal High Court, Lagos, on 10 April 2026, ordering the issuance of a warrant of arrest to secure his appearance for investigation into “a reported case of conspiracy and murder.” Both orders are certified true copies filed with the memo.
It is worth noting that a Magistrate Court later set aside the earlier 16 February order, on grounds that the applying counsel lacked right of audience, and a subsequent application before a different magistrate directed only that Akanbi report to police within 48 hours of his return, rather than face immediate arrest. The Federal High Court order of 10 April, which came after these rulings, remained in force.
The allegation: Jimoh had personal contact with the suspect after arrest
The memo directly denies any contact between Jimoh and Akanbi following the latter’s arrest by INTERPOL Benin on April 15. It states that Akanbi was handed to INTERPOL Nigeria and detained at SCID Panti under Lagos Command, ahead of formal transfer to AIG Zone 2 for onward handling.
Jimoh describes his role as coordinating with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police Interpol in Abuja and the Commissioner of Police Interpol Lagos to secure Akanbi’s repatriation.
Rights group commends AIG, flags concerns over unit conduct.
Amid the allegations, a civil society group has thrown its weight behind the AIG’s handling of the case. In a letter addressed to Jimoh, the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) commended his office for what it described as professionalism, diligence and strategic leadership in investigating the Ajiran murders during his tenure as Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.
The group, in the letter signed by its president, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, said Jimoh’s actions, particularly the arrest of Akanbi and other suspects, along with the investigative process that led to their arraignment, had helped restore public confidence in the police.
However, CHSR raised concerns about the conduct of some operatives of the Delta Force Unit, SCID Panti, Lagos, whom it alleged had shown bias in favour of the accused persons during ongoing court proceedings. The group urged Jimoh’s office to ensure officers maintained professionalism and neutrality so that the integrity of the case was preserved before the court.
The case, involving Akanbi and murder suspects Fatai and Ismaila, remains before the courts.