… Says VDM Should Seek Joinder in Court Instead of Conducting Trial by Social Media
The South West Youth Alliance (SWYA) has strongly condemned what it described as a calculated campaign of misinformation and character assassination against Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Jimoh Olohundare, insisting that the senior police officer is neither corrupt nor a threat to Nigeria’s justice system as alleged by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VDM.
The group said the allegations against AIG Olohundare are not only reckless and misleading but appear deliberately designed to undermine an ongoing murder trial and erode public confidence in the judicial process.
In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Adenike Ajanlekoko, the Alliance declared that available facts and official records completely contradict the narrative being promoted against the senior police officer.
“We state categorically that AIG Jimoh Olohundare is not corrupt, has never acted outside the law in the Ajiran murder case, and cannot by any stretch of imagination be described as a threat to justice.
The facts speak for themselves, and those attempting to rewrite the facts are doing a great disservice to the rule of law.”
According to the group, its independent findings revealed that the statements of key suspects in the matter were initially obtained by investigators from the Lagos State Police Command long before the arrest of the principal suspect, Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi.
The Alliance noted that Safiu Fatai, popularly known as Fabo, aged 40, and Yusuf Ismaila, also known as Bariga, were arrested on January 24 and February 6, 2026, respectively, following the reopening of investigations based on fresh intelligence.
It further recalled that on February 20, 2026, the Lagos State Police Command declared Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi, a 38-year-old businessman, wanted in connection with the alleged killings of two persons in separate incidents within Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The group disclosed that after months of intelligence gathering and cross-border tracking operations, Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi was eventually apprehended in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, on April 15, 2026.
According to the statement, upon his arrest, Akanbi was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Lagos, where investigators obtained his statement before proceeding to the correctional facility to record additional statements from Safiu Fatai (Fabo) and Yusuf Ismaila (Bariga).
SWYA maintained that VDM’s public campaign appears to rely almost entirely on statements allegedly obtained after Akanbi’s arrest, while deliberately ignoring the original statements secured months earlier during the course of the investigation.
“What the public deserves to know is that the original statements made by Safiu Fatai and Yusuf Ismaila on January 24 and February 6, 2026, respectively, and recorded by Superintendent of Police Adamu, remain intact.
These statements form part of the official investigative record and duplicate copies are available with the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). No amount of social media sensationalism can erase official records.”
The Alliance further stated that police investigations, based on confessional statements from suspects already in custody, allegedly revealed that Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi paid N2 million to a criminal gang to execute the killings of Prince Ademola Akinloye and Sheriff Ishola Salami.
It added that following a review of confessional statements and other prima facie evidence, investigators linked Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi, Soji Mascot, Kenny and one Bode to the crimes under investigation.
Defending the integrity of the investigative process, the group noted that Superintendent of Police Adamu and his team have earned widespread recognition for dismantling notorious kidnapping syndicates, armed robbery gangs and violent criminal networks across Lagos State.
“The attempt to portray SP Adamu and his team as compromised investigators is both unfair and dishonest.
These are officers whose operational achievements in combating violent crimes across Lagos State are well documented.
Their professionalism and diligence cannot be erased by propaganda.”
The Alliance also pointed out that the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions reviewed the case file after the arrest of the prime suspect and subsequently recommended prosecution.
According to the group, Alhaji Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi was thereafter arraigned before the Lagos State High Court and is currently standing trial for alleged conspiracy and the murders of Prince Ademola Akinloye and Sheriff Ishola Salami.
SWYA further dismissed claims that AIG Olohundare acted improperly in the matter, noting that the senior officer had even received a formal commendation from the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) titled “Commendation on Professional Conduct and Request for Continued Oversight Over Ajiran Murder Incidents.”
“It is therefore absurd that a police officer being commended by civil society organizations for professionalism and oversight is now being portrayed as an enemy of justice by individuals relying on selective narratives.”
The group also alleged that its findings revealed that VDM may be acting on information supplied by individuals within the Delta Force Unit of SCID Panti who are sympathetic to the accused persons.
“Our investigation suggests that VDM is being fed a one-sided narrative by persons who appear biased and sympathetic to the accused.
Such conduct does not advance justice; it merely seeks to manipulate public opinion against lawful institutions.”
The Alliance warned that sustained attempts to influence public perception while a matter is actively before the court could undermine confidence in the administration of justice.
“No individual, regardless of social media following or public popularity, should assume the role of investigator, prosecutor and judge in a matter already before a competent court.
The courtroom—not social media—is the proper venue for determining guilt or innocence.”
SWYA advised VDM to pursue lawful avenues if he genuinely believes he possesses information relevant to the proceedings.
“If VDM has a genuine legal interest in this matter, the proper course is to apply for joinder and allow the court to determine his standing.
What he cannot do is mount a media trial, attack investigators, malign AIG Jimoh Olohundare and attempt to intimidate institutions responsible for enforcing the law.”
The Alliance therefore called on Nigerians to reject attempts to politicize or sensationalize the Ajiran murder case and urged all parties to respect the authority of the court.
“Justice must be determined by evidence, not by hashtags.
The courts must be allowed to perform their constitutional duty without intimidation, manipulation or interference from any quarter.”
