By all accounts, the killings of Sheriff Salami Ishola in 2023 and Prince Ademola Akinloye in 2024 were chilling crimes that shook residents of Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. For months, the cases lingered without closuruntil fresh intelligence prompted a dramatic breakthrough.
On Thursday, February 19, 2026, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, publicly detailed how discreet reinvestigation led to the arrest of two principal suspects and the declaration of four others as wanted.
The First Killing: Sheriff Salami Ishola
Sheriff Salami Ishola, 37, was killed on April 18, 2023, at about 3:00 p.m. in Moba Town, Ajah area of Eti-Osa.
According to police findings, a group of armed men allegedly waylaid him along Mobile Road before dragging him into an isolated building. The assailants were reportedly armed with a locally fabricated pistol, an axe and machetes.
Following renewed investigations, two suspects ,Safiu Fatai (also known as Fabo), 40, and Yusuf Ismaila (also known as Bariga), were arrested on January 24 and February 6, 2026, respectively.
Police said both men confessed to participating in the attack, alleging that the operation was carried out on the instruction of one Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi, who allegedly sponsored the killing.
A Second Tragedy: Prince Ademola Akinloye
More than a year later, on August 26, 2024, tragedy struck again in a similar pattern.
Prince Ademola Akinloye, 38, son of Oba Adetunji Akinloye, the Ojomu of Ajiran Land, was shot along Chevron Road in Ajiran, Eti-Osa LGA.
Investigators say the same gang was responsible.
The arrested suspects allegedly admitted involvement in the second killing, describing a similar modus operandi. They further claimed they were paid ₦2 million, ₦500,000 each , days after the first murder and were promised opportunities abroad and social advancement.
Reopening the Files
Although the incidents occurred before CP Jimoh assumed office as Lagos Commissioner of Police, he ordered the cases reopened after new facts emerged pointing to specific individuals.
The renewed probe, described by the Command as discreet and thorough, culminated in the arrests and fresh evidence linking additional suspects.
Wanted: Alleged Sponsor and Accomplices
Following what the police described as a painstaking review of evidence, CP Jimoh declared the following individuals wanted in connection with the murders:
Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi, 38, CEO/MD of HAMTAJAK & HALROMALK, Ajiran, Eti-Osa LGA
Soji Mascot
Kenny
Bode
The police alleged that Akanbi sponsored both killings.
Members of the public have been urged to report any information about the whereabouts of the declared suspects to the nearest police station or through designated Lagos State Police distress lines.
A Message from the Command
CP Jimoh reaffirmed the Lagos State Police Command’s commitment to ensuring that justice is served, regardless of when a crime was committed.
The development underscores a renewed focus on revisiting unresolved cases, especially where emerging intelligence provides fresh investigative leads.
For the families of Sheriff Salami Ishola and Prince Ademola Akinloye, the arrests may represent a significant step toward long-awaited justice, though the search for the remaining suspects continues.