Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A series of legal proceedings involving Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi, the third defendant facing murder and conspiracy charges over the killings of two residents of Ajiran, Lagos State, has seen his lawyers approach several judges of the Lagos State High Court with bail applications despite an existing substantive criminal case and pending applications before the trial judge.
The proceedings followed an initial remand order issued by Justice A.T. Muyideen on June 25, 2026, directing that Akanbi be remanded at the Ikoyi Minimum Custodial Centre after the court found that the Nigeria Police Force had exhausted the constitutionally permissible period for keeping him in police custody. The subsequent proceedings have centred largely on Akanbi's medical condition, his custodial status and repeated applications for bail before different judges.
The matter first came before Justice Muyideen on June 25, when the court was informed that Akanbi had been brought to court in an ambulance because of his purported medical condition. However, the defendant was not physically produced before the judge. After considering the circumstances, Justice Muyideen ordered that Akanbi be remanded at the Ikoyi Minimum Custodial Centre. The court consequently directed that custody be transferred from the police to the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Following the order, Akanbi was transported to the Ikoyi Minimum Custodial Centre in an ambulance. According to the account presented in the subsequent proceedings, he arrived strapped to a hospital bed and appeared unable to communicate, answer basic questions or identify himself. Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service reportedly declined to admit him because of his condition, resulting in a disagreement between the police and correctional authorities over who should assume physical custody.
The situation reportedly came to the attention of the Chief Judge of Lagos State, who was at the facility for activities marking the 71st anniversary of the Lagos State Judiciary. The Chief Judge communicated the situation to Justice Muyideen, following which Akanbi was returned to the High Court premises. Given the practical difficulty of immediately implementing the remand order, Justice Muyideen subsequently issued an interim directive by telephone that the police should continue taking Akanbi to the Police Hospital for medical treatment pending the next adjourned date.
When the case resumed on July 3, all three defendants were arraigned and pleaded to the charges against them. Counsel for Akanbi relied on an Affidavit of Urgency dated July 2 in support of a bail application. Justice Muyideen expressed displeasure over the correctional authorities' failure to comply with the court's order. The court was, however, unable to hear the bail applications filed on behalf of Akanbi and the other defendants, as the Director of Public Prosecutions maintained that the prosecution was still within the time allowed to file its response. Justice Muyideen advised counsel for the defendants to approach a vacation judge for the hearing of the bail applications. He also ordered that Akanbi be returned to the hospital to continue his treatment.
Akanbi was initially arraigned before a magistrate court on May 22, 2026, on charges including conspiracy to commit murder, membership of an unlawful society and threats of violence. He pleaded not guilty on all counts. The court declined a bail application, citing the need for supplementary legal advice from the DPP. On June 4, 2026, a Lagos State Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba ordered the remand of Akanbi for another 10 days following the failure of the DPP to render its legal advice.
In a dramatic turn of events, members of the Ajiran community gathered at the court premises in a show of solidarity for Akanbi, displaying banners and placards calling for his release and insisting on his innocence. The protesters alleged that the prosecution is connected to an ongoing land dispute rather than a genuine murder case.
Akanbi was arrested by INTERPOL in Benin Republic on April 15, 2026, after being declared wanted by the police over alleged involvement in violent crimes in Ajiran community of Eti-Osa LGA. He was apprehended in a hotel in Cotonou, where he was wearing a T-shirt with the inscription "Wanted Dead or Alive". Police investigations revealed that Akanbi allegedly hired assassins to carry out the killings of Sheriff Ishola Salami on April 18, 2023, and Prince Ademola Akinloye on August 26, 2024. Suspects currently in custody stated that Akanbi paid them N2 million three days after the killing of the first victim.
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