Court Sets Aside Arrest, Remand, Wanted Declaration Against Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi
A Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, has set aside its earlier ex-parte order authorizing the arrest, remand, and “wanted” declaration of Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, also known as Hammed Ajiran.
The development follows the earlier declaration of Akanbi as wanted for alleged multiple murder by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Olorundare Jimoh, on February 19, 2026. However, in a ruling delivered today, Magistrate L.A. Owolabi of Magistrate Court 3 nullified the ex-parte order initially granted on February 16, 2026.
In his decision, Magistrate Owolabi held that the order was obtained through the concealment of material facts. The court specifically noted that the counsel who filed and argued the application, Nosa Watson Uhumwangho, was under suspension by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee at the time and therefore lacked the right of audience before the court.
The ruling sparked jubilation among members of the youth wing of the Ojomu royal family, who gathered within the court premises carrying banners and placards in praise of the judiciary, describing it as the last hope of the common man.
Counsel to Akanbi, Adedotun Ajulo, Esq., who moved the application to set aside the order, argued that the court must serve as a check on law enforcement agencies. He maintained that where the police act in a partisan or biased manner, the judiciary remains a vital safeguard for the protection of citizens’ legal rights.
The court’s decision effectively nullifies all prior orders relating to Akanbi’s arrest, remand, and wanted status.
