A Lagos-based businessman who had been declared wanted over allegations of multiple murders and destruction of property has been arrested in Benin Republic and extradited to Nigeria by the International Criminal Police Organisation, police said on Monday. The suspect, identified by police as Ahmed Akanbi, was formally handed over to authorities at the Zone 2 Command headquarters in Lagos after his arrest in Cotonou on April 15.
Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Moshood Jimoh, said Akanbi, 38, had been on the run across several countries before he was tracked to an undisclosed hotel in the Beninese capital. According to Jimoh, the suspect was apprehended after months of international surveillance and cooperation between INTERPOL operatives in Benin Republic and Nigeria.
Police said Akanbi had earlier been declared wanted alongside other suspects identified as Safiu Fatai, Yusuf Ismaila, Soji Mascot and one Kenny in connection with a series of violent crimes in Lagos. Jimoh told reporters that the case involves “multiple murders, attempted murders, and destruction of lives and property spanning several years,” adding that investigations would be concluded before the suspect is charged to court.
The case, according to the police, gained renewed momentum after a petition to the Inspector-General of Police prompted a fresh investigation into killings in the Ojomu community area of Lagos. Preliminary findings, Jimoh said, indicated that some previously arrested suspects had confessed to carrying out killings on Akanbi’s instructions and with his financial backing.
Police linked the suspect to the killings of Sheriff Ishola on April 18, 2023, and Prince Ademola Akinloye on August 26, 2024, both in the Eti-Osa axis of Lagos. Jimoh said earlier police leadership in Lagos had made progress on the case, but that new evidence later emerged that more directly tied Akanbi to the alleged crimes.
Commissioner of Police for INTERPOL, Fidelis Ogarabe, said the arrest was made possible by intelligence sharing and international coordination. He said Nigerian INTERPOL officers received credible information on the suspect’s whereabouts in Cotonou, after which operatives moved in with support from their Beninese counterparts. The suspect was then returned to Nigeria and transferred to the Zone 2 Command for continuation of the investigation.
Police also said items recovered from Akanbi, including travel documents, mobile phones and a luxury vehicle, could assist investigators. Jimoh appealed to people who may have suffered losses, attempted murder, destruction of property or criminal interference with investments linked to the suspect to come forward with evidence, assuring them that their identities would be protected.
The police said the case would be handled through due process, while warning against misinformation or attempts to politicise the investigation.
