Wasiu Akinwande, a suspected hired assassin apprehended by Lagos State Police Command operatives, is now being charged at the Ogba Magistrate Court in the state’s Ogba region on 11 counts of murder, unlawful possession of guns, and felony, among other charges.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed this in a statement to the press on Tuesday.
44-year-old Akinwande, popularly known as Olori Eso and described as the “most wanted vicious and notorious hired killer”, was apprehended during a coordinated tactical operation code-named ‘Silence, Speed and Surprise’ carried out by the Command’s Tactical Squad in his hideout in the Agbado area of Ogun State.
Hundeyin added that Akinwande, who is renowned for terrorising Mushin and the neighbouring areas, was pursued to Ogun after previous attempts to apprehend him failed.
The command also seized a significant cache of firearms and incriminating goods from Akinwande’s home, which the suspect “freely admitted he was using for his killing operations with his gang.”
Hundeyin said, “Wasiu Akinwande, aka Olori Eso, is currently being arraigned at the Ogba Magistrate Court on an eleven-count charge.”
He went on to say that the charges against Akinwande included the alleged murder of Bankole Yusuf and Ramadan Yusuf on July 31, 2024, in the Mushin area of the state.
Another account said that on December 9, 2010, the suspect killed 10-year-old Aminat Lateef while on an errand in Lagos State’s Fadeyi district.
The charges read in part, “That you, Wasiu Akinwande, alias Olori Esho ‘m’, and others now at large, on or before the 31st day of July 2024, at the Idi-araba area of Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did knowingly and unlawfully kill Ayinla ‘m’ (surname unknown), Ojaja ‘m’ (surname unknown), and three other unknown persons (now deceased) by shooting them directly during a clash between your faction (known as an unlawful society) with the AK-47 rifles in your possession and thereafter abscond to the Alagbado area, where you were tracked/arrested, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 223 of the Law, Ch., C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
“That you, Wasiu Akinwande, alias Olori Esho ‘m and others now at large, on the 31st day of July 2024, at No. 11, Mosalashi Street, Mushin, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully have in your possession K2 assault rifle with breach No. AR72739, Two AK-47 rifles with breach Nos. 0275 & 5688, Two locally made single barrel pistol, 70 rounds of 5.56 live ammunition, 27 round of 9mm live ammunition, 57 cartridges, three walkie talkies and One poisonous dagger, which you use for your unlawful activities in the society and you could not give a satisfactory account of how they came into your possession and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27(1)(a)(b)(ii) of the Firearm Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as amended).
“That you, Wasiu Akinwande, alias Olori Esho ‘m’, and others now at large, on the 17th day of February 2011, at Awoniyi Street, Idi-Araba, Mushin – Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did attempt to kill one Awawu Ajalara ‘f’, aged 58 years, by shooting at both her legs with an AK47 rifle in your possession and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 230(a) of the Law, Ch., C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
“That you, Wasiu Akinwande, alias Olori Esho, and others now at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did unlawfully cause grievous harm to one Awawu Ajalara ‘f’, aged 58 years, by shooting at both her legs with the AK47 rifle in your possession, which caused her permanent disability, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 245 of the Law, Ch., C17, Vol 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.”
