Fresh appeal to catch killer of two men in Moss Side on fifth anniversary of their deaths
Cheriff Tall, 21, and father of three Abayomi 'Junior' Ajose, 36, were shot dead at a 'spontaneous' party attended by 400 people in Moss Side in the early hours of June 21 2020.
The event, with a DJ and PA system, took place in a car park in the middle of a block of flats hours after a Black Lives Matter protest.
Detectives are appealing for information if witnesses know or saw someone there who was wearing a black Icon cap with a white logo and a white Nike Air T-shirt with a small black logo over the left side of the chest.
A £50,000 reward remains available for key information that leads to the discovery and conviction of the killer, who police believe is from Birmingham.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) Major Incident Team, said: 'This year marks five years since Cheriff and Junior went out to a party but sadly never returned home to their loved ones. Their families have been left devastated by their loss, and they deserve justice.
'We will never be able to bring back their beloved Cheriff and Junior, but we can see that their killer is brought to justice. We need members of the community to get in touch and help us with some key information.
'There were hundreds of people in the car park that night and we are sure that there are people who saw the incident, even if it was just part of it.
'However, there has been a reluctance for witnesses to come forward with information.
'I understand that people might be scared, and that is normal given what has happened, but there is a range of measures that we can put in place to keep witnesses safe.
'Evidence can be given on video or behind a screen. It could also be that we could apply to the courts for the witness to be anonymous if there are grounds to do so.
'I'd just ask for you to come forward and we can have an honest chat about what we can do, as you don't have to commit to giving a statement in the first instance.
'The person responsible for these murders we believe is from Birmingham. He is not a member of the local Moss Side community, and he should not be protected.
'Anyone who comes forward in this case is not a 'grass' for helping the police, they are simply doing what is right for two families who have had their loved ones taken from them in awful circumstances. No one deserves that.
'When we have worked together in the past, we have achieved great results and if we work together again, we can get justice for Cheriff and Junior. It's not too late to do the right thing.'
Anyone with information, however small or insignificant, should contact GMP in confidence on 0161 856 2035, quoting incident number 221 of 21/06/20.
Alternatively, reports can be made in confidence to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Information, including pictures and videos, can be uploaded anonymously to the Major Incident Public Portal for Operation Tarnbrook at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/06GMP20S30-PO1
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Mystery over death of boy, 14, killed in broad daylight e-bike crash as cops hunt Kia driver
No arrests have been made yet by police TRAGIC CRASH Mystery over death of boy, 14, killed in broad daylight e-bike crash as cops hunt Kia driver Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) COPS are urgently hunting for the driver of a Kia after a 14-year-old boy was killed in a horror crash. Jacob Calland was riding an e-scooter with a friend before it collided with a car in Wythenshawe, Manchester, back in March. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Jacob Calland with is mother Carly Credit: Greater Manchester Police 2 Cops are now looking to urgently speak with the driver of this car Credit: Greater Manchester Police The teenager spent eight days in intensive care before he succumbed to his injuries. No arrests have been made by cops but officers have now released an image of a vehicle as part of the investigation. Cops are urgently looking to speak to the driver of the car – a white 2015 onward Kia Venga - in relation to the incident. The driver is not a suspect in the investigation and officers only wish to speak to them to support their ongoing work, said Greater Manchester Police. Detective Constable Steve Pennington from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: "This was a truly tragic incident that has devastated a young boy's family. "Our thoughts remain with Jacob's loved ones, and we continue to support his family as they navigate this unimaginable loss. 'We are very keen to speak to the driver of the white Kia Venga who may have witnessed the moments leading up to the collision. "I want to be clear that they are not under suspicion – we believe they could have vital information that may help us understand what happened. "If you are that driver, or know who they might be, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.' Jacob's heartbroken mum Carly arrived at the scene moments after the crash, said "18 minutes of him leaving this front door, his life was gone". She called for stricter regulations and safety measures for e-scooters and said "if I can save one life it is going to be worth it". Carly previously described her son as "very loving, headstrong, and a cheeky chappy". "He knew what he wanted in life and he was always going to go for it," she said. She said her son's fatal crash was "something I've never seen before". "You see it on TV but that's your life changing in that split instance it was surreal", Carly added. In conversations with Jacob, the mum said she had warned him not to get on e-bikes or electric scooters, because "he didn't have road sense on his feet never mind on something as powerful as these things". E-scooters are legal to buy and use on private land, but it is illegal to ride them on public roads unless they are hired through an authorised rental scheme. Alongside her calls for e-scooter licences and a ban on their sale to children, Carly wants to see more safety equipment on the vehicles. She said: "When we get in a car we have to wear a seat belt. Why when they get on the e-scooters do they just get to go on them with no helmets [and] no safety equipment?" Carly also wants stricter punishments for those breaching e-scooter laws. The heartbroken mum said: "You think it is never going to be you. I thought the same. I never thought that my son was going to die on an e-scooter. "I hope no other parent, brother, sister... has to go through this because it isn't an easy journey. "I just hope that our message and campaign and... putting my pain into [Jacob's] power is going to save somebody else from doing this." Cops urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has any CCTV, dashcam, or doorbell footage is asked to get in touch with officers. This can be done by contacting police via 101 or quoting log 2263 of 19/03/25. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Mystery over death of boy, 14, killed in broad daylight e-bike crash as cops hunt Kia driver
COPS are urgently hunting for the driver of a Kia after a 14-year-old boy was killed in a horror crash. Jacob Calland was riding an e-scooter which collided with a car in Wythenshawe, Manchester, back in March. The teenager spent eight days in intensive care before he succumbed to his injuries. No arrests have been made by cops but officers have now released an image of a vehicle as part of the investigation. Cops are urgently looking to speak to the driver of the car – a white 2015 onward Kia Venga - in relation to the incident. The driver is not a suspect in the investigation and officers only wish to speak to them to support their ongoing work, said Greater Manchester Police. Detective Constable Steve Pennington from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: "This was a truly tragic incident that has devastated a young boy's family. "Our thoughts remain with Jacob's loved ones, and we continue to support his family as they navigate this unimaginable loss. 'We are very keen to speak to the driver of the white Kia Venga who may have witnessed the moments leading up to the collision. "I want to be clear that they are not under suspicion – we believe they could have vital information that may help us understand what happened. "If you are that driver, or know who they might be, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.'
BBC News
16 hours ago
- BBC News
Ex-PC banned from profession after sexual assault
A former police officer has been banned from the profession after being convicted of two counts of sexual assault. Hatel Patel, who resigned from the Greater Manchester Police while under investigation in October 2022, pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of two women over the age of 16. The 39-year-old was given an eight month sentence, which was suspended for two years, at Manchester Magistrates' Court in March. During a police misconduct hearing, Chief Constable Stephen Watson said Patel would have been dismissed without notice if he had not previously resigned. In his ruling, Mr Watson said Patel, who was not present at the hearing, acted in a "thoroughly offensive, unprofessional and disturbing manner" while commending the victims for their "courage and integrity" in coming forward. He said: "Mr Patel has paid a heavy price for his offending."He rightly stands convicted of sexual offences; it has caused him to lose his position as a constable and he has lost his good name and reputation."Given the features of this case I find I am unable to reconcile the maintenance of public confidence with doing anything other than making the clearest declaration that had Mr Patel not resigned, I would have dismissed him from the service without notice."Patel has been placed on the College of Policing's barred list. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
