…most notorious and elusive hired assassin ‘Olori Eso’ has been arraigned on 11 counts, including murder.
LAGOS, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | A man described by police as one of Lagos’ most notorious and elusive hired assassins has been arraigned on 11 counts, including murder, unlawful possession of firearms, and attempted homicide.
Wasiu Akinwande, popularly known as Olori Eso, appeared at the Ogba Magistrate Court on Tuesday following his arrest by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command during a covert operation that ended years of his reign of terror in Mushin and other parts of the state.
The 44-year-old suspect was captured in his hideout in Agbado, Ogun State, in a tactical sting operation codenamed Silence, Speed and Surprise.
According to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, Akinwande had long evaded arrest despite being the subject of several crackdowns.
“This man is not just a killer, he is a well-organised criminal mastermind,” Hundeyin said. “We finally caught him after years of surveillance and failed attempts. He’s been the face of terror in Mushin and its environs.”
Recovered from his residence was a disturbing cache of deadly weapons: two AK-47 rifles, a K2 assault rifle, pistols, live ammunition, walkie-talkies, and even a poisonous dagger, tools the police say were used in his string of killings and attacks.
“He freely admitted that the weapons were for his gang’s operations,” Hundeyin disclosed.
Court documents reveal that Akinwande is being charged in connection with multiple killings, including the July 31, 2024, murders of Bankole Yusuf and Ramadan Yusuf in Mushin, as well as a chilling 2010 incident where a 10-year-old girl, Aminat Lateef, was gunned down while running an errand in Fadeyi.
The charge sheet paints a picture of methodical violence. One count accuses him of murdering five people during a gang clash in Idi-Araba using AK-47s–an act for which he later fled to Alagbado.
Another accuses him of attempting to kill a 58-year-old woman, Awawu Ajalara, by shooting both her legs, leaving her permanently disabled.
Further counts detail his illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, to which he could provide no lawful explanation. The police say the arsenal was instrumental in maintaining his hold over the streets of Mushin for over a decade.
Akinwande remains in custody as proceedings continue. His alleged co-conspirators, identified only as “others now at large,” are still being hunted by law enforcement.
