The dust over the murder of Sheriff Ishola Salami, youth leader in Ajiranland, a community in the Lekki axis of Lagos has continued as demand for investigation and call for justice has become strident.
At a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, the Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR) is a service oriented non-governmental organization (NGO) registered as a corporate body to defend, sustain and promote the fundamental human and socio-economic rights of citizens restated it’s stand on the situation in OJOMU COMMUNITY, AJIRAN LAND and drew the attention of relevant stakeholders to the case of gruesome murder of a leader of the youth in Ojomu community, Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami at MOBA town adjacent AJIRAN on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
According to Comrade Alex Omoteinse, the CHRS President, “three months after the unfortunate incident, we are seriously disturbed that the police were yet to demonstrate seriousness or even convincing interest in the investigation of the callous murder.”
According to him, “the apparent nonchalant of the police authority would however appear deliberate or orchestrated in spite of quest for justice by the immediate family of the deceased and concerned indigenes of the community.”
He stated further that :”We received a copy of the petition dated May 8, 2023 and submitted to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police Force, Zonal Command Headquarters, Zone II, Onikan, Lagos on a the situation in Ojomu community including a request for the probe into the murder of Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami (a.k.a AGBOWORIN) who was a son of late BASHORUN OF AJIRAN Land, Chief Ishola Salami.
“The said petition was forwarded on behalf of Ajiran Youth Movement by a solicitor: Omoyola and Co (Property Managers, Solicitors, Advocates and Arbitrators) (Please see copy attached).
“In spite of quest for justice anchored on the statutory duty of the police, members of the immediate family of the deceased, Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami are totally broken by the apparent lack of commitment to bringing the perpetrators of the heinous crime to book.
“The immediate family of the deceased comprising his critically ill; aged mother, his wife Mrs. Mariam Ishola Salami and three young daughters, Sinata -5years plus, Ayisha – 4 years, and Arafat – 2 years are yet to be consoled that justice would be done to the memory of their loved breadwinner.”
The group noted that “the family of the deceased has been left to mourn their beloved son, husband and father without any glimmer of hope of getting justice since the law enforcement agencies; particularly the police charged with the responsibility of protection and conducting criminal investigation have not been forthcoming.
“The concerned indigenes of Ojomu community and the immediate family of the deceased, according to the CHSR, are therefore demanding diligent investigation that would lead to the unraveling of the masterminds and accomplices in the cold-blooded murder of Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami.
The rank-and-file leadership of human rights community in Lagos State and by extension Nigeria are demanding that the new leadership of the Nigeria Police headed by Inspector General Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun should order credible investigation into the crisis in Ojomu community prior to the ugly incident of April 18, 2023 leading to the murder of Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami.”
The group therefore called on the Lagos State government compel the Lagos State Police Command to act without further delay in unraveling the perpetrators of the callous murder of Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami
It also called on the new Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun to order full investigation into the remote cause of the murder of Mr. Sheriff Ishola Salami and those responsible and equally probe the delay in the investigation of the murder three months after the incident.
